Mary Kom Biography
Mary Kom is an Indian Olympic boxer, politician, and former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. She is one of the most successful female boxers in the world, having won six World Championships, an Olympic bronze medal, a gold medal at the Asian Games, and a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
She is also the only woman to win the World Amateur Boxing Championship six times. In 2000, she clinched her inaugural state championship title, earning the opportunity to represent Manipur at the national level.
She also qualified for the 2012 London Olympics, where she won a bronze medal in the flyweight category.
Mary Kom Age
Mary Kom is 41 years old as of 2024.
Mary Kom Early Life and Boxing Career
Mary Kom, hailing from the Kom tribal community in the northeastern state of Manipur, is a renowned Indian boxer. She was raised in a humble background, with her parents engaged in Jhum cultivation to make ends meet. Initially, she attended a village school up to the 8th standard, and later moved to Imphal for her 9th and 10th standards. However, faced with academic challenges and failure in her exams, she made the decision to drop out of school and pursue her 10th exams privately.
She was born on 1 March 1983 at Kangathei, Manipur, India. She celebrated her 41st birthday in 2024. But the age is just a number to her as she won Gold at the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Australia.
She was inspired to take up boxing after watching Dingko Singh win a gold medal at the Asian Games in 1998. However, she faced opposition from her parents who thought boxing was too masculine for a girl. She secretly trained at a local gym and participated in state-level competitions. She also changed her name from Mangte Chungneijang to Mary for ease of pronunciation.
She won her first state championship in 2000 and was selected to represent Manipur at the national level. She impressed the national coach with her skills and determination and was selected for the first Women’s World Boxing Championship in 2001. She won a silver medal in the light flyweight category, becoming the first Indian woman to win a medal at the world level. She also won a gold medal at the Witch Cup in Hungary in the same year.
She continued to dominate the world of women’s boxing, winning five consecutive gold medals at the World Championships from 2002 to 2010. She also won gold medals at the Asian Championships, the Asian Games, and the Commonwealth Games. She became the only woman to win the World Amateur Boxing Championship six times and the only boxer (male or female) to win eight World Championship medals.
She became the only Indian female boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she competed in the flyweight (51 kg) category and won a bronze medal. She had also been ranked as the world’s No. 1 female light-flyweight by the International Boxing Association (amateur) (AIBA).
She took a break from boxing after the Olympics to focus on her family and gave birth to her third son in 2013. She resumed training in 2014 and won a gold medal at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, becoming the first Indian female boxer to do so. She also won a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in the light flyweight category.
She qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she competed in the flyweight (51 kg) category again. She reached the semi-finals, where she lost to Busenaz Cakiroglu of Turkey by a split decision. She became the first Indian boxer to win two Olympic medals, as she secured a bronze medal. She also became the second Indian woman to win two Olympic medals, after badminton player PV Sindhu.
She is widely regarded as a national icon and a role model for women in India. She has received many awards and honors, such as the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, and Arjuna Award. She is also a politician and a former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. She has also written an autobiography, titled Unbreakable, and a biopic film, titled Mary Kom, was made on her life, starring Priyanka Chopra.
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Mary Kom Awards and Medals
- Some of the awards and medals that Mary Kom has received are:
- Padma Vibhushan (2020), the second-highest civilian award in India
- Padma Bhushan (2013), the third-highest civilian award in India
- Padma Shri (2006), the fourth-highest civilian award in India
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (2009), the highest sporting honor in India
- Arjuna Award (2003), for outstanding performance in sports
- Olympic bronze medal (2012), in the flyweight category
- Six World Amateur Boxing Championship gold medals (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2018)
- Asian Games gold medal (2014), in the flyweight category
- Commonwealth Games gold medal (2018), in the light flyweight category
Mary Kom Husband and Children
Mary Kom is married to Karung Onkholer, a former footballer, since 2005. They have three sons, twins born in 2007 and the youngest son born in 2013. In 2018, they adopted a girl named Merilyn. She runs a boxing foundation registered under a charitable trust to help promote boxing among underprivileged youngsters in Manipur.
Mary Kom Net Worth
Mary Kom has an estimated net worth of $2.5 million as of 2024.
Mary Kom Social Media Handles
Mary Kom is active on various social media platforms, where she shares her updates, achievements, and opinions. Here are some of her social media handles:
- Facebook: MC Mary Kom
- Instagram: @mcmary.kom
- Twitter: @MangteC
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