Six-time world champion Mary Kom was “shocked and upset” to learn about her Tokyo Olympics exit on Thursday. Mary Kom faced a shocking defeat—split decision—at the hands of Colombia’s Ingrit Valencia to bow out from the tournament. Valencia won bout 3-2.
However, Mary Kom thought she had won since the ace boxer had clinched two rounds after going down in the first essay. “I thought I have won but after some time I saw Kiren Rijiju’s tweet, I was shocked and upset at the same time (to know that I have lost the match),” Mary Kom told reporters two hours after the bout.
After Mary Kom’s defeat, Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister of Law and Justice, said the boxer was a clear winner but judges had their “own calculations”.
“Dear Mary Kom, you lost in Tokyo Olympics by just one point but for me you are always a champion! You have achieved what no other female boxer in the world has ever achieved. You are a legend. India is proud of you BOXING & OLYMPICS will miss you @MangteC,” Rijiju tweeted.
Mary Kom slammed the International Olympic Committee’s Boxing Task Force for “poor judging” in her Flyweight (51kg) pre-quarterfinal at the Tokyo Games which she lost despite winning two of the three rounds. The Task Force is conducting the boxing competition at the Tokyo Olympics after the International Boxing Association (AIBA) was suspended by the IOC for alleged mismanagement and financial wrongdoing. “I don’t know and understand this decision, what’s wrong with the Task Force? What’s wrong with the IOC?” she asked in a telephonic interview to PTI after the 2-3 loss to Colombian Ingrit Valencia in the pre-quarters in Tokyo. “I was also a member of the Task Force. I was even giving them suggestions and supporting them in ensuring a clean competition. But what have they done with me?” she said.
“I was happy inside the ring, when I came out, I was happy because in my mind I knew I had won. When they took me for doping, I was still happy. Only when I saw the social media and my coach (Chhote Lal Yadav repeated it to me), it sunk in that I have lost,” she said. “I had beaten this girl twice in the past. I couldn’t believe that her hand was raised by the referee. I swear, it hadn’t struck me that I lost, I was so sure,” she added.
“The worst part is that there is no review or protest. Honestly I am sure the world must have seen, this is too much what they have done,” she said. “I should have got the second round unanimously, how was it 3-2? What happened was totally unpredictable,” she reasoned.
The IOC’s Boxing Task Force had promised a more transparent judging system after amateur boxing’s credibility took a hit during the 2016 Rio Olympics judging fiasco which led to suspension of 36 officials.
Mary Kom is part of the BTF’s 10-member athletes ambassadors group.
Valencia advanced to the quarter-finals of the showpiece event after defeating Mary Kom in the women’s flyweight (48-51kg) category event.