Mary Kom

Mary Kom
Kom speaking at the British High Commission in Delhi, 2011
MP of Rajya Sabha
Assumed office
25th April 2016
Personal details
Born Mangte Chungneijang
(1983-03-01) 1 March 1983[1]
Kangathei, Manipur, India
Nationality Indian
Height 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)
Spouse(s) Karong Onkholer Kom
Residence Imphal, Manipur, India
Occupation MP of Rajya Sabha (nominated) from 25th April, 2016 to 24th April, 2022
Net worth ₹3.32 crore (US$460,000) (as of July, 2012)[2]
Nickname(s) Magnificent Mary
Mary Kom
Sport
Coached by L. Ibomcha singh, M. Narjit Singh,
Medal record
Representing  India
Women's boxing
Olympic Games
2012 London Flyweight (51kg)
Commonwealth Games
2018 Goldcoast Light flyweight (48kg)
World Amateur Boxing Championships
2002 Antalya 45 kg
2005 Podolsk 46 kg
2006 New Delhi 46 kg
2008 Ningbo City 46 kg
2010 Bridgetown 48 kg
2001 Scranton 48 kg
Asian Women's Boxing Championship
2003 HissarPinweight
2005 KaohsiungPinweight
2010 AstanaFlyweight
2012 UlaanbaatarFlyweight
2017Flyweight
2008 GuwahatiPinweight
Asian Games
2014 IncheonFlyweight (51kg)
2010 GuangzhouFlyweight (51kg)
Asian Indoor Games
2009 HanoiPinweight
Asian Cup Women's Boxing Tournament
2011 Haikou48 kg
Witch Cup
2002 PécsPinweight

Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte[3] (born 1 March 1983[1]), better known as Mary Kom and Magnificent Mary [4] is an Indian Olympic boxer hailing from Manipur. She 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.[5] Nicknamed Magnificent Mary, 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.[6] She has also been ranked as No. 4 AIBA World Women's Ranking Flyweight category.[7] She became the first Indian woman boxer to get a Gold Medal in the Asian Games in 2014 in Incheon, South Korea.[8] and is the first Indian Woman Boxer to win Gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

On 26 April 2016, Kom was nominated by the President of India as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.[9] In March 2017, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, appointed Mary Kom along with Akhil Kumar as national observers for boxing.[10] Mary Kom[11] won the Gold Medal In Asian Boxing Championship. She defeated Kim Hyang-mi of North Korea in the title match.

Early life

Kom was born in Kangathei village, Moirang Lamkhai in Churachandpur district of rural Manipur in eastern India.[12] She came from a poor family. Her parents, Mangte Tonpa Kom and Mangte Akham Kom were tenant farmers who worked in jhum fields.[13] They named her Chungneijang. Kom grew up in humble surroundings, helping her parents with farm related chores, going to school and learning athletics initially and later boxing simultaneously. Kom's father was a keen wrestler in his younger days. She was the eldest of three children - she has a younger sister and brother.[14]

Kom studied at the Loktak Christian Model High School at Moirang up to her sixth standard and thereafter attended St. Xavier Catholic School, Moirang, up to class VIII. During this time, she took a good amount of interest in athletics, especially javelin and 400 metres running. It was at this juncture, Dingko Singh, a fellow Manipuri returned from the 1998 Bangkok Asian games with a gold medal. Kom recollects that this had inspired many youngsters in Manipur to try boxing, and she too thought of giving it a try.[15]

After standard VIII, Kom moved to Adimjati High School, Imphal, for her schooling for class IX and X, but was unable to pass the matriculation exam. Not wishing to reappear for them, she quit her school and gave her examination from NIOS, Imphal and graduation from Churachandpur College.[16]

In school, Kom participated in all types of sports including volleyball, football and athletics. It was the success of Dingko Singh that inspired her to switch from athletics to boxing in 2000. She started her training under her first coach K. Kosana Meitei in Imphal. When she was 15, she took the decision to leave her hometown to study at the Sports academy in the state capital Imphal.[17] In an interview with the BBC, Meitei remembered her as a dedicated hardworking girl with a strong will power, who picked up the basics of boxing quickly. Thereafter she trained under the Manipur State Boxing Coach M. Narjit Singh, at Khuman Lampak, Imphal.[18] Kom kept her interest in boxing a secret from her father, himself an ex-wrestler, as he was concerned that boxing would hurt Kom's face and spoil her chances of marriage. However, he learnt of it 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 grew convinced of her love of boxing.[19]

Returned to boxing

After her marriage, Mary Kom took a short hiatus from boxing. After she and Ongler had their first two children, Kom again started training.[12] She won a silver medal at the 2008 Asian Women's Boxing Championship in India[20] and a fourth successive gold medal at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship in China,[21] followed by a gold medal at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam.[20]

In 2010, Kom won the gold medal at the Asian Women's Boxing Championship in Kazakhstan,[20] and at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship in Barbados, her fifth consecutive gold at the championship. She competed in Barbados in the 48 kg weight category, after AIBA had stopped using the 46 kg class.[22] In the 2010 Asian Games, she competed in the 51 kg class - the lowest in the contest - and won a bronze medal. In 2011, she won gold in the 48 kg class at the Asian Women's Cup in China.

On 3 October 2010, she, along with Sanjay and Harshit Jain, had the honour of bearing the Queen's Baton in its opening ceremony run in the stadium for the 2010 Commonwealth Games of Delhi.[23][24] She did not compete, however, as women's boxing was not included in the Commonwealth Games.

On 1 October 2014, she won her first Gold Medal at the Asian Games held at Incheon, South Korea by beating Kazakhstan’s Zhaina Shekerbekova in the flyweight (51 kg) summit clash.

On 8 November 2017, she clinched an unprecedented fifth gold medal (48 kg) at the ASBC Asian Confederation women’s boxing championships held at Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam.[25]

The only major international event, that she had not seen a medal before was in Commonwealth Games, as her category Light flyweight was never included in the games till 2018 Commonwealth Games where as expected she digged the gold medal in the Women's light flyweight 48 kg on 14th April, 2018.

Olympic Games

Kom, who had previously fought in the 46 and 48 kg categories, shifted to the 51 kg category after the world body decided to allow women’s boxing in only three weight categories eliminating the lower weight classes.

At the 2012 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship, Kom was competing not just for the championship itself but also for a place at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the first time women's boxing had featured as an Olympic sport. She was defeated in the 51 kg quarter-finals by Nicola Adams of the UK, but did succeed in getting a place for the Olympics. She was the only Indian woman to qualify for boxing event, with Laishram Sarita Devi narrowly missing a place in the 60 kg class.[26]

Kom was accompanied to London by her mother[27] and husband . 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, which is mandatory for accreditation.[28] She had all her luggage and passport stolen on the way to the selection camp in Bangkok, Thailand for her first Asian Women’s Boxing Championships.[29][30] The first Olympic round was held on 5 August 2012, with Kom defeating Karolina Michalczuk of Poland 19-14 in the third women's boxing match ever to be fought at the Olympics.[31][32] In the quarter-final, the following day, she defeated Maroua Rahali of Tunisia with a score of 15-6.[33] She faced Nicola Adams of UK in the semi-final on 8 August 2012 and lost the bout 6 points to 11.[34] However, she stood third in the competition and garnered an Olympic bronze medal.[35][36][37] In recognition, the Manipur Government awarded her Rs 50 lakhs and two acres of land in a cabinet meeting held on 9 August 2012.[38]

Though keen on representing India at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Kom was not able to qualify for the event. She continues to pursue the sport and train for the same, and is preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[39]

Super Fight League

Kom appeared on the final episode of the Super Fight League's mixed martial arts reality show - SFL Challengers. During this time Kom was in talks with owners Raj Kundra and Sanjay Dutt to work with the SFL in some manner other than being a fighter.[40]

On 24 September 2012, the Super Fight League announced that Kom will serve as the SFL's brand ambassador.[41][42]

Achievements

International Titles[43]
Year Place Weight Competition Location
20012nd, silver medalist(s)48Women's World Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsScranton, Pennsylvania, United States
20021st, gold medalist(s)45Women's World Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsAntalya, Turkey
20021st, gold medalist(s)45Witch CupPécs, Hungary
20031st, gold medalist(s)46Asian Women's ChampionshipsHisar, India
20041st, gold medalist(s)41Women's World CupTønsberg, Norway
20051st, gold medalist(s)46Asian Women's ChampionshipsKaohsiung, Taiwan
20051st, gold medalist(s)46Women's World Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsPodolsk, Russia
20061st, gold medalist(s)46Women's World Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsNew Delhi, India
20061st, gold medalist(s)46Venus Women's Box CupVejle, Denmark
20081st, gold medalist(s)46Women's World Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsNingbo, China
20082nd, silver medalist(s)46Asian Women's ChampionshipsGuwahati, India
20091st, gold medalist(s)46Asian Indoor GamesHanoi, Vietnam
20101st, gold medalist(s)48Women's World Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsBridgetown, Barbados
20101st, gold medalist(s)46Asian Women's ChampionshipsAstana, Kazakhstan
20103rd, bronze medalist(s)51Asian GamesGuangzhou, China
20111st, gold medalist(s)48Asian Women's CupHaikou, China
20121st, gold medalist(s)41Asian Women's ChampionshipsUlan Bator, Mongolia
20123rd, bronze medalist(s)51Summer OlympicsLondon, United Kingdom
20141st, gold medalist(s)51Asian GamesIncheon, South Korea
20171st, gold medalist(s)48Asian Women's ChampionshipsHo Chi Minh, Vietnam
20181st, gold medalist(s)45-48Commonwealth GamesGold Coast, Queensland, Australia
National
  • Gold – 1st Women Nat. Boxing Championship, Chennai 6–12.2.2001
  • The East Open Boxing Champ, Bengal 11–14.12.2001
  • 2nd Sr World Women Boxing Championship, New Delhi 26–30.12.2001
  • National Women Sort Meet, N. Delhi 26–30.12.2001
  • 32nd National Games, Hyderabad 2002
  • 3rd Sr World Women Boxing Champ, Aizawl 4–8.3.2003
  • 4th Sr WWBC, Kokrajar, Assam 24–28.2.2004
  • 5th Sr WWBC, Kerala 26–30.12.2004
  • 6th Sr WWBC, Jamshedpur 29 November-3.12.2005
  • 10th WNBC, Jamshedpur lost QF by 1–4 on 5.10.2009

Awards and recognitions

Mary Kom set a new standard in amateur boxing without ever competing in professional boxing. In 2015, Kom became the first amateur to surpass several professional athletes in India in earnings, endorsements and awards. She is the first amateur athlete to win the Padma Bhushan.

For the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics

Media

Her autobiography, Unbreakable, was co-authored by Dina Serto[58] and published by Harper Collins in late 2013.[59]

In 2014, Priyanka Chopra played the main role of Mary Kom in Mary Kom, a biographical film about her life. Although the mother tongue of Mary is Kom, a Sino-Tibetan language, the movie is in Hindi.

The movie is directed by Omung Kumar and was released on 5 September 2014.[60]

Personal life

Kom is married to the footballer Karung Onkholer (Onler).[61] Kom first met her husband in 2000 after her luggage was stolen while travelling by train to Bangalore and thereafter to Delhi for a sports meet. In New Delhi while on her way to the National Games in Punjab she met Onkholer who was studying law at Delhi University. Onkholer was the president of the North East students body and helped Kom. Thus they became friends and thereafter started dating each other. After four years they were married in 2005.[62]

Together they have 3 sons: twins Rechungvar and Khupneivar (born in 2007),[63] and son Prince (born in May 2013).[64][65]

Association with social causes

Kom is an animal rights activist, and supporter of PETA India, starring in an ad to call for an end to the use of elephants in circuses. "Circuses are cruel places for animals where they are beaten and tortured. As a mother, I can imagine what animals go through when their children are taken away from them to forcefully perform in circuses. It's sad," Kom has been quoted in the media.[66]

Kom has also backed PETA India's humane education campaign, Compassionate Citizen. She has written a letter to the education ministers of states and union territories across India requesting that the programme be incorporated into official school curriculums. In an interview in the Times of India she was quoted as saying, "One of the best ways to knock out cruelty to animals is to teach compassion to young people. Animals need us in their corner. With violence seemingly all around us, it is more important than ever that we teach lessons of respect and kindness in the classroom."[67]

References

  1. 1 2 Kom, Mary (2013). Unbreakable.
  2. ↑ V Krishnaswamy (24 July 2012). "Mary Kom". Forbes India. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "London Olympics - Womens fly 51kg, Semi finals - India vs Great Britain". www.olympic.org. World Olympics Committee. Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  4. ↑ "Mary Kom Review". Mid-day. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  5. ↑ I see India. "Magnificent Mary". On Mary Kom. I see India. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  6. ↑ "Olympics: Mary Kom loses SF 6-11, wins bronze". IBN Live. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  7. ↑ "AIBA World Women's Ranking". AIBA. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  8. ↑ Gold s/asian-games-2014-day-12-live-india-women-aim-for-hockey-bronze-mary-kom-in-striking-distance-of-gold/ Kom wins th
  9. ↑ Bhandaram, Vishnupriya (26 April 2016). "Parliament Live: Mary Kom and Subramanian Swamy take oath in Rajya Sabha". Firstpost. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Government designates 12 Olympians as National Observers". The Indian Express. PTI. 20 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  11. ↑ "Mary Kom". Amar Ujala. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  12. 1 2 Mary Kom, M.C. (1 August 2013). Unbreakable -: An Autobiography (First ed.). Delhi: Harper Collins. ISBN 9351160092. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  13. ↑ "NE India:Indigenous Women dream to win World Boxing Champion 2012".
  14. ↑ "About Marykom". www.wban.org. World Boxing Archive Network. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  15. ↑ "Interview with Mary Kom". The Deccan Herald. 30 September 2004. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  16. ↑ Chitra Garg (2010). Indian Champions: Profiles Of Famous Indian Sportspersons. Rajpal & Sons. pp. 93–. ISBN 978-81-7028-852-7. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  17. ↑ "World Olympic dreams - Meeting Mary Kom". BBC World News. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  18. ↑ Williams, Dee (6 February 2008). "Mary Kom". (WBAN) Women Boxing Archive Network. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  19. ↑ Gaur, Anita (1 June 2016). The Life and Times of M.C. Mary Kom. Delhi: Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 9351865991. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  20. 1 2 3 E-Pao. "Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom :: Manipur Olympic Dreams 2012 London". About Mary Kom. E-Pao. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  21. ↑ Mary makes women's boxing's Olympic case stronger: AIBA President Archived 28 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  22. ↑ Laxmi Negi (19 September 2010). "Mary Kom wins fifth successive World Boxing Championship gold". The Times of India.
  23. ↑ World News. "Mc Mary Kom Aiba Women's World Boxing Championship". About Mary Kom. World News. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  24. ↑ "Baton for Commonwealth Games to enter India today". The Times of India. 25 June 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  25. ↑ "Mary Kom strikes gold at Asian Women's Boxing Championships". 8 November 2017.
  26. ↑ Times of India (18 May 2012). "Mary Kom qualifies for London Olympics". Times of India. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  27. ↑ "London calling for Mary Kom's mom too". The Times Of India. 20 July 2012.
  28. ↑ "Mary Kom's American coach not to be with her at Olympics". The Times Of India. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  29. ↑ "Mary Kom Biography". women planet.
  30. ↑ "Mary Kom, husband disclose their love story". The Times Of India. 9 December 2013.
  31. ↑ AIBA (5 August 2012). "Women make history". Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  32. ↑ "Mary Kom proud to win on historic day". The Times of India. 5 August 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  33. ↑ "Mary Kom storms into semis, assures India of a medal". The Hindustan Times. 6 August 2012. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  34. ↑ Bakowski, Gregg (8 August 2012). "Nicola Adams beats Mary Kom to reach 51kg Olympic final". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  35. ↑ "Mary Kom attempts to create history in Olympics boxing by reaching final". The Times Of India. 8 August 2012.
  36. ↑ Sorry I couldn't win Gold or Silver: Mary Kom after winning Bronze | Boxing | NDTVSports.com
  37. ↑ "Mary Kom didn't play her natural game, say pugilists". The Times Of India. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  38. ↑ "London Olympics 2012: Manipur to award ₹. 75 lakh to Mary Kom". The Times Of India. 10 August 2012.
  39. ↑ "Heartbreak for Indian boxing fans as Mary Kom denied Rio 2016 ticket". Hindustan Times. PTI. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  40. ↑ "Mary Kom to strike long-term partnership with SFL owners". hindustantimes.com. 26 September 2012. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  41. ↑ "Mary Kom brand ambassador of Raj Kundra's SFL". newstrackindia.com. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  42. ↑ "Super Fight League ropes in Mary Kom as brand ambassador". timesofindia.com. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  43. ↑ "AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships Qinhuangdao 2012 Athletes Biographies" (PDF). International Boxing Association. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  44. ↑ "MC Mary Kom gets AIBA's Legends Award, Vikas Krishnan wins Best Boxer trophy". hindustantimes.com. 21 December 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  45. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160415122919/http://www.nbc40.net/news/aiba-announces-mary-kom-as-a-brand-ambassador-for-womens-world-championships-317/
  46. 1 2 "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  47. ↑ "President Pratibha Patil presents Khel Ratna, Arjuna awards". Hindustan Times. 29 August 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  48. ↑ "Mary Kom, Vijender and Sushil get Khel Ratna". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 29 July 2009. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  49. ↑ Manipur Express, 31 June 2006 Sat, Ed. L. Chinkhanlian, Lamka; The Sangai Express, 19 April 2008, Imphal
  50. ↑ Zamzachin, Dr. G. (3 November 2009). "MARY KOM MC (Mangte Chungneijang)". Zogam.Com. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  51. ↑ "Sahara Sports Awards: Sushil Kumar, Mary Kom get top honours". 31 October 2010. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012.
  52. ↑ PTI 13 August 2012, 05.17PM IST (19 September 2010). "Rajasthan announces cash awards for Olympic winners Vijay Kumar, Sushil Kumar, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and others - Economic Times". Economictimes.indiatimes.com.
  53. ↑ "Manipur govt announces Rs 75 lakh award for Mary Kom - The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 10 August 2012.
  54. ↑ Bikash Singh, ET Bureau 9 August 2012, 11.32PM IST (9 August 2012). "London Olympics: Assam announces Rs 20 lakh for Mary Kom - Economic Times". Articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com.
  55. ↑ ANI (20 April 2011). "Arunachal Govt. honours Mary Kom, announces 10 lakh award - Yahoo! News India". In.news.yahoo.com.
  56. ↑ "Rs 10 Lakh Reward to Mary Kom for Olympics Feat". news.outlookindia.com. 10 August 2012. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013.
  57. ↑ "Olympics 2012: Bronze medalist Mary Kom to get Rs40 lakh from NEC - Sport - DNA". Dnaindia.com.
  58. ↑ KHELEN THOKCHOM (18 December 2013). "Twins release Unbreakable". The Telegraph. Calcutta. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  59. ↑ "Mary Kom's autobiography released by Sushmita Sen". The Times Of India. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  60. ↑ Masand, Rajeev (8 September 2014). "'Mary Kom' review: The film is watchable, but never great like it should've been". CNN-IBN. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  61. ↑ Garoo, Rohit (13 September 2016). "Mary Kom's Marriage: The Boxer's Softer Side Is Still Inspiring". The Bridal box. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  62. ↑ "Olympian Mary Kom was molested when she was 18". Biharprabha News. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  63. ↑ http://www.telegraphindia.com/1131219/jsp/northeast/story_17694574.jsp#.Vto5kubvBFt
  64. ↑ Kumar, Priyanka (8 March 2012). "MC Mary Kom: Boxer, mother, icon". IBN Live. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  65. ↑ "For Mary Kom, life comes second to Olympic dream". First Post. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  66. ↑ "Boxer Mary Kom lends support to PETA campaign for elephants". Times of India. 26 October 2014.
  67. ↑ "Mary Kom joins hands with PETA to promote humane education". 25 September 2013.

  • Ananthasubramanian, Vignesh (9 October 2014). "Five Golden moments of MC Mary Kom's Glorious Career". Sportzwiki. India. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
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