You are more powerful than you know- Mary Kom


“This medal is very special to me just like all other medals I have won because it has its own story of struggles. Every medal I have won is a story of a difficult struggle. I am hoping this medal, which has come after I became an MP, will enhance my reputation even further. I hope my stature grows” – Mary Kom after winning gold medals at the continental meet in the Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh.

When Mary Kom was 15, she took the decision to leave her hometown to study at the Sports academy in the state capital Imphal. Thereafter she trained under the Manipur State Boxing Coach M. Narjit Singh, at Khuman Lampak, Imphal. But Kom kept her passion in boxing a secret from her father. Her father was concerned that boxing would hurt Kom’s face and spoil her chances of marriage. Father of Mary Kom learnt of her passion when Kom’s photo appeared in a newspaper after she won the state boxing championship in 2000. After three years, her father began to support Kom’s pursuits in boxing as he was convinced that Kom‘s passion lies in boxing only.

Mary Kom is a five-time World Amateur Boxing champion and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships. Nicknamed “Magnificent Mary” in the boxing fraternity, she is the only Indian woman boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, competing in the flyweight (51 kg) category and winning the bronze medal. She has also been ranked as No. 4 AIBA World Women’s Ranking Flyweight category. She became the first Indian woman boxer to get a Gold Medal in the Asian Games in 2014 in Incheon, South Korea and is the first Indian Woman Boxer to win Gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Kom’s coach Charles Atkinson could not join her at the Olympic Village as he didn’t possess an International Boxing Association (AIBA) 3 Star Certification. Mary Kom stood third in the competition and won an Olympic bronze medal.

An Olympic Bronze medal changed her life and Mary Kom became a household name in India.

Mary Kom has three sons, she is an MP of Rajya Sabha, she is an observer of government for boxing and still continues to fulfill all the responsibilities like a boss. She is an inspiration who started off from a very very humble family and won numerous medals at international level-

International titles

Year

Place

Weight

Competition

Location

2001

Second

48

Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships

ScrantonPennsylvania, United States

2002

First

45

Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships

AntalyaTurkey

2002

First

45

Witch Cup

Pécs, Hungary

2003

First

46

Asian Women’s Championships

Hisar, India

2004

First

41

Women’s World Cup

Tønsberg, Norway

2005

First

46

Asian Women’s Championships

KaohsiungTaiwan

2005

First

46

Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships

Podolsk, Russia

2006

First

46

Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships

New Delhi, India

2006

First

46

Venus Women’s Box Cup

Vejle, Denmark

2008

First

46

Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships

Ningbo, China

2008

Second

46

Asian Women’s Championships

Guwahati, India

2009

First

46

Asian Indoor Games

HanoiVietnam

2010

First

48

Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships

BridgetownBarbados

2010

First

46

Asian Women’s Championships

AstanaKazakhstan

2010

Third

51

Asian Games

Guangzhou, China

2011

First

48

Asian Women’s Cup

Haikou, China

2012

First

41

Asian Women’s Championships

Ulan BatorMongolia

2012

Third

51

Summer Olympics

London, United Kingdom

2014

First

51

Asian Games

IncheonSouth Korea

2017

First

48

Asian Women’s Championships

Ho Chi MinhVietnam

2018

First

45-48

Commonwealth Games

Gold Coast, QueenslandAustralia

2

She continues to inspire millions of girls in India and abroad. Mary Kom continues to train for the love of her life i.e boxing and is preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

iChhori wishes her all the very best!


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