Millions of people will be gaping at their TV screens as Magnificient Mary takes one more step towards another Olympic medal on Thursday. Six-time world champion M C Mary Kom (51kg) will fight her pre-quarterfinal bout against Colombia’s Ingrit Valencia. 

While the match is expected to be a blockbuster, history favours Mary Kom. The Indian boxer, a mother of four, has defeated Valencia every time (2) they have faced each other in the ring. 

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Mary Kom is chasing her second Olympic medal, having won a bronze in the 2012 London edition.

The 38-year-old comes after winning against a rival who is 15 years her junior and a Pan American Games bronze-medallist. She defeated Dominican Republic’s Miguelina Hernandez 4-1 in her opening bout at Tokyo 2020. Her bout, exciting from start to finish, displayed some brilliant tactics the Manipuri put up to overcome Garcia. 

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“It has been very painful, the last couple of years, for everybody because of the pandemic and everything shut down. We are all suffering the same problem and every athlete has to train at home, but for us boxers we need a training partner,” Mary Kom said in the mixed zone after her triumph.

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“I am so lucky, I could set up a little gym with equipment and a bag, but the only thing missing was a sparring partner which is the most important for the eye contact and everything,” she added about the challenges building up to the Games amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mary Kom plays on a day that has been going well for India. Badminton ace PV Sindhu advanced to the next stage. The Indian men’s hockey team defeated Argentina and archer Atanu Das also secured stunning wins.