‘Haven’t resigned’: Mary denies quitting IOA panel

London: The Indian Olympic Association’s athletes commission chairperson and boxing legend MC Mary Kom on Tuesday denied reports that she has resigned from her position, insisting that she has been misunderstood and will complete her tenure in the panel.

The 42-year-old Manipuri, who is also a 2012 Olympics bronze winner, had travelled to Haldwani for the National Games closing ceremony last week where she expressed her displeasure over being lodged at an “inferior hotel”.

Kom said her outburst in a private WhatsApp group was misconstrued and leaked to the media as resignation.

“I have not resigned, I will complete my tenure (which ends in 2026),” she asserted.

“I was merely telling my fellow (athletes commission) members that if this kind of treatment happens again, I will consider resigning. I never said that I am resigning. IOA is my family and if I am unhappy over something, I have every right to express it. This does not mean that I am resigning,” she went on.

Kom was elected to the panel in 2022 with table tennis stalwart A Sharath Kamal as vice-chairperson.