Indian boxing icon MC Mary Kom steps down as India's Chef de Mission for Paris Olympics

She announced her decision just weeks after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed her to the post.

Mary, a bronze medal winner at the 2012 London Olympics, has cited personal reasons for stepping down from the role, reported The Indian Express.

The Padma Vibhushan awardee informed the IOA president, PT Usha, the Union Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) of her decision via an email on Friday, the Indian newspaper reported.

It is still not clear whether her resignation has been accepted.

On March 21, IOA announced contingent officials for the Paris Olympics.

As part of the contingent, winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan was named Mary Kom's deputy.

Sources The Indian Express that Mary had initially been reluctant to take up the role but accepted after being convinced by Usha and government officials.

“However, she analysed the situation and decided to step down as she didn’t feel she could do justice to the role owing to personal reasons,” the source said.

In a multi-disciplined event, the Chef de Mission is considered as the most crucial position.

Who is MC Mary Kom?

She is the only woman to win the World Amateur Boxing Championship six times, the only female boxer to have won a medal in each one of the first seven World Championships, and the only boxer (male or female) to win eight World Championship medals.

Nicknamed Magnificent Mary, she was the only Indian female boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she competed in the flyweight (51 kg) category and won a bronze medal.