New Delhi, Apr 12 (FN Agency) Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha on Friday acknowledged the receipt of a letter from MC Mary Kom asking to be relieved from her position as Chef-de-Mission of the Indian contingent for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “We are sad that Olympic medal winning boxer and Chairperson of the IOA Athletes Commission Mary Kom has stepped down citing personal reasons. We respect her decision and her privacy,” Usha said. “I shall make the appropriate consultations and soon make an announcement about the replacement for Mary Kom,” she said.Usha said she had a conversation with Mary Kom upon receipt of the letter, an IOA release on Fridaysaid. “I completely understand her request and respect her decision. I have also conveyed to her that she will always have my own support and that of IOA.
I also request everyone to respect the legendary boxer’s privacy,” she said. In her letter to the IOA President, Mary Kom said she was grateful to the Indian Olympic Association for placing its faith in her to serve as Chef de Mission in Paris 2024. “I consider it an honour to serve my country in every way possible, and I was mentally prepared for it. However, I regret that I will not be able to uphold the prestigious responsibility and would like to resign, owing to personal reasons. It is embarrassing to retreat from a commitment, which I seldom do, but I am left with no choice,” she wrote. “I am there to cheer on my country and the athletes competing in this Olympic Games, with great expectations, Mary Kom added.