A boxing legend and an icon of women’s boxing, MC Mary Kom celebrates her 37th birthday on March 1, 2020 (Sunday). Magnificent Mary, as Kom is popularly known to her fans, has not only created a plethora of records in women’s boxing but also holds several in overall boxing as well, which includes both men’s and women’s categories. She is one of the most recognisable faces and India’s boxing ambassador to the world. Many before her and many after has won medals in international boxing championships, but it was Mary who truly put India on the boxing map and brought the nation recognition in the boxing universe. As Magnificent Mary turns 37, let’s take a look at some lesser-known facts about her.  Mary Kom Turns Cover Girl For Elle India January 2020 Issue, Gets Introduced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (View Pics).

Mary, a mother of three, is the first women boxer to win a record six AIBA World boxing championship titles and also has eight medals (six gold, two silver and a bronze) from the tournament, which includes medals in each of her first seven appearances at the international event. Everywhere she has been, Mary has always brought laurels for her country. Like the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. Mary claimed bronze in her first-ever appearance at the Asiad in 2010 before returning to the continental event in 2014 and winning the gold. She did one better at the Commonwealth and won a gold in her first-ever outing.

  • Mary Kom was born as Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom to Mangte Tonpa Kom and Mangte Akham in the Kangathei village of Imphal, Manipur on March 1, 1983
  • As a child born to farming parents, Mary was interested in athletics, Javelin, 400m sprint and every other sport barring Boxing
  • A Young Mary took up boxing after being inspired by fellow Manipuri boxer Dingko Singh after he returned with an Asian Games gold medal in 1998
  • Mary Kom has won the AIBA World Boxing Championships a record six times, making her only Indian boxer to do so
  • Mary is also the only boxer (both male and female) to win eight Boxing World Championships medals and the only women to win a medal in each of her first seven appearances
  • The Boxing legend is the first Indian women to win a gold medal at the Asian and Commonwealth Games
  • Manipur government conferred Mary Kom with the title “Meethoi Leima” that translates to a great and exceptional lady following her sixth World Championship title in 2018
  • Mary Kom’s home town in the west district of Imphal has a road “MC Mary Kom Road” named in her honour
  • Mary Kom was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan Award in 2020 making her first-ever amateur athlete receive the honour

Initially reluctant to inform her father about her interest in boxing for fear of being stopped from training, Mary eventually received support from her Dad when he found a picture of her in a local paper with the national title in her hands. So far Mary Kom has won 22 medals at international events, including the bronze medal at the London summer Olympics in 2012. She remains the only Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal and won’t be stopping anytime soon with Tokyo Olympics her next destination.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).