I have not resigned, will complete tenure: Mary Kom on reports of quitting IOA panel

Indian Olympic Association's Athletes Commission chairperson Mary Kom denies resignation reports, clarifying she will complete her tenure.

The Indian Olympic Association's Athletes Commission chairperson and boxing legend M.C. Mary Kom on Tuesday (February 18, 2025) 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".

Speaking to PTI, Mary Kom said her outburst has been misconstrued 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.

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

The commission also features two-time Olympic medal-winning shuttler P.V. Sindhu, former shot putter Om Prakash Karhana, Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan, London Olympics bronze-winning shooter Gagan Narang, rower Bajrang Lal, fencer Bhavani Devi, former women's hockey captain Rani Rampal, and Tokyo Olympics silver-winning weightlifter Mirabai Chanu.