'I'll be forced to retire next year': Six-time world champion Mary Kom

Racing against time to get fit sixtime world champion boxer MC Mary Kom is targeting the Asian Games as her swansong in the ring before she is forced to retire next yearThe veteran pugilist who had torn her anterior cruciate ligament after twisting her left knee during the Commonwealth Games selection trials last year underwent a reconstructive surgery to repair the ACL tear in AugustWhat happened during the Commonwealth Games trials was very unfortunate I suffered a major injury and I had to undergo a surgery Mary said at the unveiling of the Indian team jersey ahead of the womens World ChampionshipIm trying to come back soon Because I have only this year next year Ill be forced to retire So this year I want to compete in any competition before the retirementAccording to the rules the maximum participation age for a boxer is 40 years and the Manipuri will turn 41 in NovemberI dont want to retire at all I want to compete for the next five years but above 40 we cant compete that is the ruleMy main target is the Asian Games hopefully I will recover by then I will have time for preparation also It is my dream to compete once this year before retirementAlso Read Ministry unhappy with top wrestlers for skipping international meets amid protestThe Asian Games which were postponed last year are set to be held from September 23 to October 8 this yearHowever in order to be selected for the marqueeevent the London Olympics bronze medallist will have to go through the new selection process which requires a boxer to go through an evaluation test in the national campMy recovery is going very well Very soon Ill be able to run and train Im trying my level best If Im able to compete then I will try to beat the boxers to get selectionBut if I dont get fit by the Asian Games then I want to compete in any other international competition onceBoxing Federation of India President Ajay Singh said We will fully support her recovery process and her desire to box again and from our side we will try to give her a wonderful sendoffThe Asian Games is also a qualifying event for the 2024 Olympics and if Mary wins then she will have earned a quota for the Paris Games where she will not be eligible to participate due to her ageMay be the IBA president will allow me to compete at the Olympics she jokingly commentedAsked if she plans to turn pro post retirement Mary said she hasnt decided yetPro is also not easy But the easy part is in one year there are only two or one competition and the money is more Amateur and pro are differentWant 3 medals from India at the World ChampionshipThe multipletime World Championship gold medallist will not compete in this edition due to her recovery from the injury but she will serve as the events brand ambassador alongside Bollywood actor Farhan AkhtarHaving delivered year after year Mary hopes the Indian contingent can bag three gold medals at homeI think India will win at least three golds Since last many years our girls are performing very well in international championship This time we are hosting so why not said Mary who won gold the previous two times India hosted the event in 2006 and 2018The BFI has announced hefty prize money for the tournament with the gold medallist set to get USD 100000 silvermedal winner USD 50000 and bronze medallist USD 25000But Mary warned the boxers to focus on their performance and not go after the moneyYou prove yourself in the ring and money will come to you If you are moneyminded you may not perform well Attitude arrogance and money can affect your training and preparation Our performance should not sufferThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever