Mary Kom's team issues statement apologising for her remark about female athletes on Bigg Boss 20

Mary Kom. Pic via X

Indian boxing champion Mary Kom recently faced backlash on the internet over her remark while speaking to fellow contestant Qazi Touqeer on Bigg Boss 20. While speaking about Indian female athletes, she boasted about her career and her own sporting record. However, the comment did not go down well with some viewers, who thought that it came across as a comparison. After the exchange went viral on social media, sparking a debate, her team has now issued a statement apologising for her remark,

Mary Kom's remarks spark backlash

During a conversation on one of the episodes, Qazi Touqeer was talking about Indian women who have made the country proud in sports. Qazi mentioned tennis star Sania Mirza and badminton player Saina Nehwal's names, saying, "Hamare yahan sports mein kaun kaun ladki ne kamal kiya hai, Sania Mirza also did great, Sania Nehwal (Which girls have achieved greatness in sports here? Sania Mirza did a great job, as did Saina Nehwal)."

However, Mary Kom, seemingly cut in before he could finish, saying, "Lekin mere jaisa koi achieve nahi kiya (But no one achieved what I did)," highlighting her own achievements in boxing.

Notably, Mary is a six-time world champion, the first Indian woman boxer to win an Olympic medal and the only boxer in the world, male or female, to win six world titles. However, her comment did not sit well with many, who felt it sounded more like a comparison with other women athletes.

Mary Kom's team apologises

Amid the backlash, Mary Kom's team stepped in, issuing a clarification and apology from her official account. The statement read,"We apologise if Mary's words were misunderstood. There was never any intention to demean or compare the journey with that of another athlete. Mary has immense respect for every athlete who represents India and gives their heart and soul to the sport."

The team further added, "Every journey is unique, every achievement matters, and every medal makes India proud."

Notably, this is not the first time Mary Kom has got into a controversy this year. In February, she faced severe heat over remarks about her divorce from her former husband. She later shared an apology video, stating her comments had been taken out of context.