Mary Kom thought she'd won her Tokyo 2020 match-up! Isn't ruling out another Olympics run

Controversy reigns, even as India's boxing legend MC Mary Kom is out of the Tokyo Olympics after a nail-biting loss to Colombia's Ingrit Valencia. However, the 2020 games (which are being held in 2021) may not be the 38-year old's last. Kom lost 3-2 to the third seed from Colombia in the Round of 16 on Thursday at the Kokugikan Arena despite winning the final two rounds on the majority of the judges' cards. However, Ingrit was adjudged the winner as a result of a 4-1 result in the first round, a decision that shocked Kom when she found out, much later, that she'd lost.

MC Mary Kom cannot didn't believe she lost

MC Mary Kom revealed that she could not believe that she lost her Tokyo Olympics Round of 16 clash against Ingrit Valencia and blamed the supervisory Boxing Task Force for poor decision making. Kom said, "I don''t know and understand this decision, what's wrong with the Task Force? What's wrong with the IOC? I was also a member of the Task Force. I was even giving them suggestions and supporting them in ensuring a clean competition. But what have they done with me?" When the judges announced their final verdict, audiences were nonplussed as Mary Kom appeared to celebrate too. She later confirmed that she believed she'd won, going on to berate the result, specifically the award of the first round to her opponent by a 4-1 verdict despite there being 'no fighting in the first round'.

Despite being a six-time world champion, Mary Kom was quick to praise her opponent gracefully after coming to know about her own loss, unclear as she was about the reason behind her defeat. "The first round was not much, but in the second and third round, I’m not waiting for her anymore. I don’t know what I think, but she is a very good fighter," said Kom.

Mary Kom loses match but not hope or desire

Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom may have lost the match to Colombia's Ingrit Valencia, but she certainly doesn't seem to have lost hope or the desire to win more accolades for India. According to AP, Kom is still confident of winning more glory for the Nation. The London Olympics medal winner said, "I’m still here. I’m still strong enough. If you have it here (pointing to the heart), it’s still there."

Tokyo Olympics may not be Mary Kom's last, rules notwithstanding

Mary Kom gave a tantalizing response when she was asked whether she would compete at another Summer Games after the Tokyo Olympics. Kom said, "I don’t know, because there’s an age limit. Maybe, but I’m not sure about that." As per the rules of the international boxing association, boxers are limited to 40 years old across all competitions. However, the governing body has been open to raising the age limit in the past if a celebrity fighter is interested in pursuing any Olympic spot.

Kom began her Tokyo Olympics 2020 campaign with a win over Dominican Republic's Miguelina Hernandez. However, she fell just two victories short of clinching a second Olympics medal. Previously, the legendary Indian boxer won bronze in London during the debut of women's Olympic boxing.