India has decided to seek a wildcard entry for boxer MC Mary Kom into the Rio Olympics. The 33-year-old had failed to qualify for the Games in the 51 kg category after losing in the second round of the World Boxing Championships last month, where she was required to reach at least the semi-finals for a spot. However, India has applied for a wildcard entry on her behalf considering she "has been a phenomenal athlete" and looking at her "overall contribution to the sport".
Kom won a bronze medal at the London Olympics four years ago and is also a five-time world champion. "However, her application will be among the many that the International Boxing Association will examine before taking a final decision,” Kishen Narsi, chairman of the ad-hoc committee currently running Indian boxing, told PTI.
The wildcards are made available to all the National Olympic Committees participating in the Olympics, reported PTI. One wildcard entry is available in each of the three boxing categories: 51 kg, 60 kg and 75 kg. The decision will be taken at the end of the AIBA world qualifiers for men in Azerbaijan later this month.
Shiva Thapa, in the 56 kg category, is the only Indian boxer who has qualified for the Olympics so far.
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