[ad_1]
Six-time world champion and 2012 Olympic medalist Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom announced her retirement from boxing on Wednesday.
Mary Kom hung up her boxing gloves because International Boxing Association (IBA) rules allow male and female boxers to fight in elite competitions only up to the age of 40.
During an event, Mary, 41, admitted that she is still hungry to compete at the elite level, but has to bring the curtain down on her career due to the age limit.
“I’m still hungry, but unfortunately due to the age limit it’s over, I can’t compete in any competition. I want to play more, but I’m forced to quit (due to the age limit). I have to retire. I have achieved everything in my life “said Mary during an event.
Mary is the first female boxer in boxing history to have captured six world titles. The five-time Asian champion was the first Indian boxer to take home a gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games.
The experienced boxer won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, leaving any record or title intact out of reach. She was introduced to the world at the age of 18 at the inaugural world meeting in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
With his almost flawless boxing style, he impressed everyone and reached the final of the 48 kg category. She fell short in the final but left a mark of the success she was going to achieve in the future.
In the following years, she became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. She then won the World Championship titles in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010. After winning the 2008 title, Ella Mary took a break after giving birth to her twins.
After winning the 2012 Olympic medal, Mary took time off again after giving birth to her third child. It marked her comeback but sealed her place at the top of the 2018 World Championships held in Delhi.
She dominated with a 5-0 victory over Ukrainian Hanna Okhota to claim her sixth world title. A year later, she captured her eighth world medal, the most for any male or female boxer.