ASTANA (KAZAKHSTAN), May 21: Five-time world champion M C Mary Kom and Asian Games bronze-medallist L Sarita Devi failed to qualify for the Olympics after they went down in their respective second round bouts of the AIBA Women�s World Boxing Championships here today.
Mary Kom (51kg), who was a bronze-medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, lost 0-2 to Germany�s Azize Nimani, while Sarita (60kg) was beaten 0-3 by Victoria Torres in the second round of an event from where only the semifinalists in the three Olympic categories would make the cut for the upcoming Rio Games.
The only Olympic hope left for India in the event is Pooja Rani (75kg), who is in the pre quarterfinals after winning her opening bout yesterday.
�I gave my best effort after a lot of sacrifices. Winning and losing is a part of game. The decision hurts me but it is not in my hand. I just have to respect the judges decision with true sportsmanship,� Mary Kom told PTI.
�I believe God has a different plan for me. I want to thank all my fans and my support team for not letting me down in this crucial moment. I wish our remaining Indian boxers all the best and I hope they make our country proud,� she added.
Mary Kom has a hypothetical chance of making it to Rio depending on the medallists in her category but that possibility is way too far-fetched and complex at this point.
Nimani will next be up against top seed Davide Marzia of Italy who got the better of Hungary�s Katalin Ancsin.
In an exciting contest, Mary Kom took off aggressively but Nimani managed to keep her at bay by fighting from a distance. � PTI