Mary Kom may skip 2018 Asian Games to focus on World Championships

The Commonwealth Games for Mary Kom had been one area where she had been unable to win a medal but 2018 ensured that even that stone was not left unturned. Now, however, barely a month after a Commonwealth Gold, there is talk of Mary Kom possibly not prioritising the Asian Games and giving it a miss. Despite being in the Olympic Performance Training Centre in Assisi, Italy with other women boxers who are in fact training for the Asian Games, Mary Kom's uncertainty over participation is rife. The chief coach of the women’s team, Raffaelle Bergamasco has confirmed that Kom will instead be focusing on the Women's World Championship which is scheduled to take place in New Delhi this November. “We believe that it will be difficult for Mary to compete in the 51kg category (there are only three categories in Asian Games boxing — 51kg, 57kg and 60kg). The competition in 51kg is quite tough with good boxers from Kazakhstan, Mongolia and South Korea," Bergamasco was quoted as saying by

The Times of India. "We feel that it won’t be in her best interests to go up from 48kg to 51kg at this stage. It’s important for her to remain fit and keep up her good performances in her weight category,” he added. A mother of three, Mary Kom's prioritisation is understandable. The boxer from Manipur has emerged as a sort of amabassador for her state after she established herself as one of India's best boxers with 5 World Championships to her name. Over the last one year, she has added to that kitty with an Asian Championships medal and a Commonwealth Games medal, raring to go on. The other female boxers training in Italy are, Monika (48kg), Sarjubala Devi & Pinki Rani (51kg), Meena Maisnam (54kg), Sonia Lather & Shashi Chopra (57kg), Laishram Sarita Devi and Pavitra (60kg), Simranjit Kaur (64kg), Lovlina Boroghain and Pooja (both 69kg), Saweety Bora (75kg), Seema Poonia (81 kg) and Lalfakmawii Ralte (+81 kg).