Mary Kom wants to be excluded from TOPS extension, suggests more chances for youngsters
Mary Kom wants to be excluded from TOPS extension, suggests more chances for youngsters
Legendary Indian boxer MC Mary Kom, a six-time world champion, has been sidelined from competition for several months due to a serious injury. However, she has been making progress after undergoing reconstructive surgery for the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury she suffered in June. The gold medalist from the 2018 Commonwealth Games could not defend her title at the Birmingham Games as she suffered the unfortunate injury during the 2022 Commonwealth Games trials.
Now, Mary Kom has requested the Mission Olympic Cell to remove her name from the list for the government’s Target Olympics Podium Scheme’s extension (TOPS). The Manipuri boxer has served as India’s torchbearer on the international stage for more than 10 years.
Today, Kom penned down a note on her Instagram handle where she urged the Mission Olympic Cell to consider youngsters more for the upcoming Olympics. First, she thanked the government for providing her with all the necessary support to date and then noted, “I think it is time to let a younger athlete get support to chase the Olympic dream.”
Mary Kom’s decision in the favour of young participants has been widely appreciated by internet users. They expressed their love for the Indian athlete in the comment section. Since being shared, her Instagram post has garnered more than 3,000 likes so far. A user said, “You are a true legend in person as well as a professional.” Numerous commenters marked her as an “inspiration,” while another individual commented, “Such a sportive gesture.” Some of them also appealed to the veteran to feature in the Paris Olympics at least for the last time.
There are now just three female boxers who are a part of the TOPS Core group, and they are Mary Kom, Lovlina Borgohain, and Pooja Rani. On the other side, the development team consists of a large number of younger boxers including Nikhat Zareen, Nitu Ghanghas, Arundhati Chaudhary, and Jasmine Lamboria.
The TOPS program was launched to give the greatest Indian athletes top-notch care. A monthly out-of-pocket payment of Rs. 50,000 is included, in addition to other supports relevant to the sport. This Sports Ministry’s flagship program which was launched in advance of the 2016 Olympics, included Mary Kom as one of its initial recipients. She remained a TOPS participant until 2018, at which point she rejoined the list in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics in 2018.
What's Your Reaction?
