Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom has been included in a 10-boxer athlete ambassadors group to represent boxers in the build-up to next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games by the International Olympic Council’s Task Force for the sport.
The 36-year-old Indian recently surpassed herself as the most successful boxer in the history of the world championships when she claimed her eighth medal, a bronze, at the marquee event’s latest edition in Russia. She is also an Olympic bronze-medallist in the 51kg category besides being a five-time Asian champion and a Commonwealth and gold-medallist in Asian Games.
Mary Kom will represent the Asian bloc in the group, which also comprises the likes of Ukrainian legend Vasyl Lamachenko (Europe), a two-time Olympic and world gold-medallist who now plies his trade in the professional circuit, and five-time world champion and 2016 Olympic gold-winner Julio Cesar La Cruz (Americas) among others.
“One female and one male ambassador per region will take on the role of engaging with the boxing community both in person and digitally,” the IOC said in a statement. “They will also help the Boxing Task Force take into account the athletes’ voice in all areas of its planning for the qualification events and the boxing tournament at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020,” it added.
The creation of an Athlete Ambassadors Group was announced in August this year, and they had to be first nominated by the respective National Olympic Committee, NOC Athletes’ Commission and the National Federation.
The Athletes Ambassadors’ Group:
Men: Lukmo Lawal (Africa), Julio Cesar La Cruz (Americas), Jianguan Asiahu (Asia), Vasyl Lamachenko (Europe), David Nyika (Oceania).
Women: Khadija Mardi (Africa), Mikaela Mayer (Americas), M C Mary Kom (Asia), Sarah Ourahmoune (Europe), Shelley Watts (Oceania).
For more information visit our site, TechnoSports. And download our app from the Google Play Store for more real-time updates. To download the app, click here.
