It won’t be easy for Mary Kom, says High Performance Director Nieva

TIL Desk Sports/ The weight of expectations is enormous on Mary Kom but grabbing a sixth gold medal at the World Championships won’t be easy for the celebrated pugilist, says Indian boxing’s High Performance Director Santiago Nieva.

One of the most decorated boxers from India, Mary Kom is a five-time world champion and London Olympics bronze medallist. The Manipuri will spearhead India’s 10-member contingent in the World Championships, beginning Thursday.

“Everybody expects Mary Kom to win a gold medal but it won’t be easy. She has strong competition, she needs to perform as nobody will give her the gold free,” Nieva said ahead of the elite International Boxing Association (AIBA) event which will be held for the first time in India.

At the same time, the Swede added that Mary Kom has it in her to deal with pressure.  “Everybody knows her. She has some pressure but she has done this before and we are confident she can do it again,” he said.  Nieva said his expectation includes a gold and anything less than that will be a below-par result for the hosts.