Mary Kom is an Indian Olympic boxer. She was the first Indian female boxer to win a gold medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and the first Indian female boxer to win a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She is also the only woman to become a world amateur boxing champion a record six times. Let’s take a closer look at her personal and professional life.
Biography/Wiki
Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte or simply Mary Kom was born on March 1, 1983 in Kangatai, Manipur, India. She celebrated her 40th birthday in 2023. But age is just a number to her as she won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. She started training in boxing at a very young age and has since represented India at the highest levels and won many honors both internationally and domestically. She was popularly known as “Mary the Magnificent”.
physical characteristics
She is 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm) tall and weighs approximately 50 kg (110 lbs). She has brown hair and black eyes. When asked about her health, she said:
The secret to my success is my physicality and the fact that I am very fast. I plan before the game. I was lucky that I was able to catch my opponent within seconds. I can read them very quickly…I have to train myself to stay calm. It’s a strong urge, it’s a habit, and training makes me happy.I sometimes feel uncomfortable when I’m not training
family
She was born in a low-income family Christianity family. Her father Mangte Tonpa Kom and mother Mangte Akham Kom were sharecroppers. Her father was also a wrestler.
Mary Kom and her parents
She grew up with three siblings, Zheng, Nei and Zhang.
Mary Kom’s sister-in-law (from left to right), brother Khupreng, Father Tonpa, little sister Cindy and mother Akham
In 2005, she married former football player Karung Onkholer Kom. He put aside his career to take care of his children and ensured that Kom focused on training rather than family.
Mary Kom and her husband
In 2007, she gave birth to twin sons Rechungvar Kom and Khupneivar Kom. In 2013, the couple welcomed their third child, Prince Kom.
Mary Kom and her children
Just a year after giving birth to Prince, she won an Asian Games gold medal in 2014.
Mary Kom after winning gold at the 2014 Asian Games
educate
She changed schools many times during her childhood. She studied till sixth standard at Loktak Christian Model Higher Secondary School, Moirang, Manipur.
Mary Kom’s childhood
She then attended St. Xavier’s Catholic School in Moirang until eighth grade. Thereafter, she moved to Adim Jati High School in Imphal.
Mary Kom at her school
She failed the entrance exam and dropped out of school. Later, she got 10th place from NIOS. She graduated from Churachandpur College. She has been a very athletic person since she was a child, participating in various sports at school. She was keen on athletics but turned to boxing after Dingko Singh’s success at the 1998 Asian Games.
Dingko Singh won the 1998 Asian Games gold medal
Profession
She is one of the most famous boxing stars in India. Her illustrious career was formed at a very early age. At the age of 15, she moved to Imphal Sports Academy to study. Her father first disliked her choice of sport because he feared she would injure her face and thus ruin her chances of getting married.
However, when she won the state boxing championship in 2000, he began to support her and understand her love for boxing. She won her first world championship gold medal in 2002 and has won five more gold medals since then.
Mary Kom after winning her sixth world title
In 2018, she won her sixth World Championship gold medal, becoming the first woman in the world to achieve this feat.
In 2012, she represented India at the Olympics and even won a bronze medal in the 51kg category. In 2018, she won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.
Mary Kom 2012 Olympics
medal
- 2001: Silver Medal – Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championship
- 2002: Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championship gold medal
- 2003: Asian Women’s Championship gold medal
- 2004: Women’s World Cup gold medal
- 2005: Asian Women’s Championship gold medal
- 2005: Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championship gold medal
- 2006: Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championship gold medal
- 2006: Venus – Venus Women’s Box Cup
- 2008: Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championship gold medal
- 2008: Asian Women’s Championship Silver Medal
- 2009: Asian Indoor Games gold medal
- 2010: Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championship gold medal
- 2010: Asian Women’s Championship gold medal
- 2010: Asian Games bronze medal
- 2011: Asian Women’s Cup gold medal
- 2012: Asian Women’s Championship gold medal
- 2012: Summer Olympics Bronze Medal
- 2014: Asian Games gold medal
- 2017: Asian Women’s Championship Gold Medal
- 2018: Gold Medal – Commonwealth Games
- 2018: Gold – AIBA Women’s World Championship
Awards/Honors
- 2003: Arjuna Award (Boxing)
- 2006: Padmashri (Sports)
- 2007: Contender for the Rajiv Gandhi Khair Ratna Award
- 2007: Person of the Year – Limka Records
- 2008: CNN-IBN and Reliance Industries Real Hero Award
- 2008: Pepsi MTV Youth Idol
- 2008: “The Great Mary”, AIBA
- 2009: Rajiv Gandhi Khair Ratna Award
- 2009: AIBA Women’s Boxing Ambassador
- 2013: Padma Shri (Sports)
- 2020: Padma Vibhushan (Sports)
- 2023: Global Indian Icon of the Year at the annual British-India Awards in Windsor, southeast England
Favorites
- Tahini and falafel are her favorite foods.
- She likes to listen to Lata Mangeshkar’s songs.
- Besides boxing, volleyball, football, wrestling and track and field are her favorite sports.
charity
She was a humanitarian and did a lot of work for the underprivileged. She is also an animal rights activist. She is a strong supporter of PETA India and works to end the use of elephants in circuses.
She said in an interview,
Circuses are cruel places where animals are beaten and tortured. As a mother, I can imagine what animals must go through when their children are taken away from them and forced to perform in circuses. This is sad.
She also supports Compassionate Citizens, PETA India’s humane education activities. She once said,
One of the best ways to eliminate animal cruelty is to teach compassion to young people. Animals need us in their corner.As violence seems to be everywhere, it is more important than ever that we teach lessons about respect and kindness in our classrooms
fact
- In her free time, she enjoys martial arts, traveling, watching TV and singing.
- In 2006, her father-in-law was kidnapped and killed. She was very close to him and in an interview she revealed that it was a difficult time for her.
- In 2014, a biopic was made called “Mary Kom” starring Priyanka Chopra and directed by Omung Kumar.
- On April 26, 2016, she was nominated by the President of India as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education