Marykom to skip Italian training stint due to personal reasons

Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) Olympic Games bound women boxer MC Marykom will skip a short training stint in Assisi, Italy, that starts on Monday, and will instead continue to train in Pune, said a national boxing coach.

"Due to personal reason Marykom has decided to train at home and skip the tour," said a senior official of the Boxing Federation of India.

A coach said that Marykom would continue to train in Pune.

"Elite boxers who have qualified for the Olympics will leave for Italy early on Saturday for a three weeks exposure tour in preparation for the Olympics. But Marykom will skip the tour," a coach told IANS.

"She will continue to train at the Army's Sports Institute in Pune. But other three women boxers Simranjeet, Lovlina and Pooja, who have qualified for the Olympics, are going for European exposure tour. We hope to benefit from the Italian tour as there are good sparring partners at the boxing training center in Assisi," said a boxing coach with the women's camp.

Nine Indian boxers, including women, have achieved quota places for the July 23-August 8 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The 2012 London Olympic Games bronze medallist, Marykom (51kg), also a six-time world champion, Simranjeet Kaur (60kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69 kg) and Pooja Rani (75 kg) have qualified in the women's category.

Amit Panghal (52 kg), Manish Kaushik (63 kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg) Ashish Kumar (75 kg) and Satish Kumar (91 kg) are the male boxers who will compete in the Olympic Games.

Last month Indian boxing team won 15 medals, including two gold, at the Asian Boxing Championships in Dubai.