Mary Kom lost the Round of 16 bout against Colombian Ingrit Valencia by the barest of margins to bow out of Tokyo 2020.
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Legendary Indian boxer MC Mary Kom has been knocked out of the Tokyo Olympics, following a defeat in the women’s flyweight pre-quarterfinal clash against Colombian Ingrit Valencia. Mary Kom was competing in her final edition of the Olympics, and would have been optimistic of a second Olympic medal. However, her defeat by a split decision ended the campaign in heartbreak, with the legendary boxer left stunned by the final result. It was Ingrit’s first win in three attempts against Mary Kom.
“I will play until I’m 40, this match was very unfortunate. The decision was very unfortunate. They clearly said they will not accept a single protest from the beginning. This was cleared before the bout. I thought I will come back with the medal but I don’t know what’s wrong. I can’t still believe that I’ve lost the match,” said the Indian boxer in an interaction with India Today after the encounter.
Mary Kom seemed convinced about her triumph before the announcement, raising her arm up and sporting a smile before going on to hug her opponent.
Both the boxers started slowly in the first round, with a lot of caution ensured in every move. There was a lot of stake for the two champions, and it reflected in their approach. However, Valencia managed to impress the judges more than Kom which reflected in the 4-1 scoreline. 4 judges ruled in favour of the Colombian with just one positively inclined towards the Indian boxer.
The second round witnessed a lot more aggression from Kom, with her agile movements, fast hands, and strong punches leaving the Colombian in a spot of bother. The Indian was not ready to either slow down or give up despite losing the first round, which reflected in her approach. This had the desired impact on the judges who gave a 3-2 verdict in favour of Kom.
The third round witnessed a lot of enthralling action, with both boxers covering a lot of ground. The audience further indicated its enthusiasm through a lot of cheers which were heard ringing out all around the arena. Kom looked sharp with her left hooks and jabs, but the Colombian seemed more confident and assured in her approach.
The Indian fans were optimistic about a result in favour of the legendary boxer. However, three judges awarded the fight to the Colombian with the other two ruling in Kom’s favour. This saw the latter being knocked out in the round of 16 stages, marking the end to an exciting contest.
Kom’s defeat is a major blow considering the fact that a triumph would have seen her inch just one win away from securing a medal for the nation. India has performed exceedingly well in Boxing so far. Lovlina Borgohain, Pooja Rani, and Satish Kumar are just a triumph away from securing a medal.
The sixth day of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 was simply magnificent for India and the contingent, barring Mary Kom’s exit. They enjoyed their best day out in the middle, with archery, badminton, hockey, shooting, and badminton all giving them glory. PV Sindhu advanced to the next round. India men’s hockey team secured their quarterfinal spot while Atanu Das, the archer put up a fabulous show.
