Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, popularly known as Mary Kom, is an Indian amateur boxer from Manipur. She is a six-time World Amateur Boxing Champion and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each of the first seven editions of the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships. She is the only Indian woman boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she won a bronze medal in the flyweight (51 kg) category, and the first Indian woman boxer to win a gold medal at the Asian Games (2014, Incheon).
Key facts
| Full name | Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 March 1983 |
| Birthplace | Kangathei, Churachandpur district, Manipur, India |
| Community | Kom (a Kuki tribe) |
| Nickname | Magnificent Mary |
| Sport | Amateur boxing |
| Weight categories | Pinweight (46 kg), Light flyweight (48 kg), Flyweight (51 kg) |
| Spouse | Karung Onkholer (Onler Kom) |
| Coach (early career) | M. Narjit Singh, Charles Atkinson |
| Awards | Padma Shri (2006), Arjuna Award (2003), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2009), Padma Bhushan (2013), Padma Vibhushan (2020) |
| Political role | Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (2016–2022), nominated |
Background
Mary Kom was born on 1 March 1983 in Kangathei village in Churachandpur district, Manipur, into a Kom tribal family of modest means. Her parents, Mangte Tonpa Kom and Mangte Akham Kom, worked as agricultural labourers in jhum fields. She studied at Loktak Christian Model High School in Moirang and later at St. Xavier Catholic School, Moirang, before moving to NIOS Imphal and Churachandpur College. Inspired by the success of fellow Manipuri boxer Dingko Singh at the 1998 Asian Games, she took up boxing in 2000 under coach M. Narjit Singh at the Sports Authority of India regional centre in Imphal.
Career
Early years and World Championships
Mary Kom won the silver medal at the inaugural AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship in Scranton, United States, in 2001 in the 48 kg category. She went on to win gold at the World Championships in 2002 (Antalya), 2005 (Podolsk), 2006 (New Delhi), 2008 (Ningbo), and 2018 (New Delhi), making her the first woman boxer to win six world titles. She also won bronze at the 2010 Bridgetown World Championships and silver at the 2001 edition.
Olympic Games
Women's boxing was introduced at the 2012 London Olympics, with only three weight classes. Mary Kom moved up from 48 kg to 51 kg (flyweight) to qualify. She defeated Karolina Michalczuk and Maroua Rahali en route to the semifinals, where she lost to Britain's Nicola Adams, taking home the bronze medal. She also competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she was eliminated in the round of 16.
Asian and Commonwealth Games
She won gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon in the 51 kg category, becoming the first Indian woman boxer to do so. She also won bronze at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, she won gold in the 45–48 kg light flyweight category. She has also won multiple gold medals at the Asian Women's Boxing Championships (2003, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2021).
Timeline
- 2001: Silver medal at first AIBA Women's World Championships, Scranton.
- 2002: First World Championship gold, Antalya.
- 2003: Awarded the Arjuna Award.
- 2005: Married Karung Onkholer (Onler).
- 2006: Awarded the Padma Shri.
- 2009: Awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.
- 2012: Won Olympic bronze in London.
- 2013: Awarded the Padma Bhushan; autobiography Unbreakable published.
- 2014: Asian Games gold in Incheon; biographical film Mary Kom released, with Priyanka Chopra in the lead role.
- 2016: Nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India.
- 2018: Sixth World Championship gold in New Delhi; Commonwealth Games gold in Gold Coast.
- 2020: Awarded the Padma Vibhushan.
- 2021: Competed at the Tokyo Olympics.
Off the ring
Mary Kom established the MC Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation in Imphal in 2007 to train underprivileged youth in boxing. She has served as a brand ambassador for several government and social campaigns, including the Anaemia Mukt Bharat initiative. She was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, on 26 April 2016 and served until 25 April 2022. In 2020, she was named the chairperson of the Boxing Federation of India's Athletes' Commission. She was the chef de mission of the Indian contingent at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Personal life
Mary Kom married Karung Onkholer (Onler) in 2005. The couple has three sons. The family resides in Imphal. She is a Christian by faith.
In popular culture
The Hindi-language biographical film Mary Kom, directed by Omung Kumar and starring Priyanka Chopra, was released in 2014. Her autobiography, Unbreakable, co-written with Dina Serto, was published by HarperCollins in 2013.
Significance
Mary Kom is widely regarded as one of the most decorated amateur boxers in history. Her achievements have been credited with popularising women's boxing in India and inspiring a generation of athletes from the North-East, a region that has historically produced strong contenders in combat sports such as boxing, weightlifting, and wushu. She was named one of the "25 Most Powerful Women in India" by India Today and has been a fixture in Forbes India's celebrity power list during her competitive peak.
Related topics
- Boxing Federation of India
- Dingko Singh
- Laishram Sarita Devi
- Sports in Manipur
- India at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Padma Vibhushan
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
- AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships
References
- Kom, M. C. Mary; Serto, Dina (2013). Unbreakable: An Autobiography. HarperCollins India.
- International Boxing Association (AIBA) records on World Championships.
- Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Padma Awards announcements.
- Rajya Sabha members' biographical handbook, Parliament of India.