Ulan-Ude, Russia, October 12, 2019: Six-time champion Mary Kom of India had to settle for a bronze medal in the Women’s World Boxing Championships after losing to Turkey’s Busenaz Cakiroglu in an intense semi-final bout in the 51kg category.
The London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist and India’s legendary boxer, seeded third, lost 1-4 to second seed Cakiroglu, who is the reigning European Championships and European Games gold medallist.
The Indian team sought a review of the decision but the appeal was turned down by the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) technical committee.
Mary Kom, 36, who has previously won six gold medals and a silver at the Worlds in the 48kg class, created history last Thursday, October 10, when she reached the 51kg semi-finals with a 5-0 victory over Rio Olympic bronze medallist Ingrit Valencia of Colombia.
The victory assured Mary Kom of a bronze medal and broke a tie with Cuban men’s legend Felix Savon to become the only boxer across male and female categories to have amassed a staggering eight medals from the World Championships.
Mary Kom, who won her solitary Olympic medal in the 51kg, was fighting in this weight class at these Championships as she is preparing for Tokyo 2020 Olympics. There is no 48kg class for women at the Olympics.