From Humble Beginnings To Global Glory: The Unstoppable Rise Of Mary Kom, India’S Boxing Legend

Mary Kom is a name that needs to be written in the golden letters of boxing history. At the end of the day, the Indian prodigy was an Olympic medallist. As if that's not enough to put one on the pedestal of all boxers of all times, she is also a six time world champion in her respective category. In our books, that's more than enough to become a boxing legend. 

When you take into account her origin, the story of Mary Kom gets even more impressive. Being born in the poor region of Manipur, to parents who were able to afford only the basic life necessities, but yet wise enough to notice her clear and present sporting talent, she had enough. Born as Mangte Chungneijang Kom, Mary excelled at volleyball, football, and athletics while at school. The decision to shift to boxing was the one that changed her life. 

What inspired her to become one of the best Indian boxers of all time was her compatriot Manipuri Dingko Singh, who managed to win a gold medal at the 1998 Asian Games held in Bangkok. With Singh showing her that success in boxing is possible even if you are a poor woman from India, there was no doubt in Mary's mind that she is on the right path. Kom was only 15 years old when she had to leave home to pursue a boxing career. Her first stop was the now famous Imphal Sports Academy. 

As it is usually the case with stories like her, the decision to pursue a career in boxing was not met with excitement by her family. Her father, Mangte Tonpa Kom, was against it. As an ex wrestler himself, he was against the idea of having his daughter participating in a combat sport.  At first, she kept it a secret from him, but it was not a secret that was easy to hide due to her astronomic rise in the boxing world. In no time, she was on the front pages of local newspapers, and her father found out that his daughter had become a state champion.  

In no time, her father was thrilled with the athlete he had under his roof, and the state championship win way back in 2000 was only the beginning. The next stop was the world, and it was not ready for what Mary Kom had to bring to the table. She was only 18 when she entered the inaugural World Boxing Championships in Scranton, Pennsylvania. While young, she managed to win the silver medal and it was her first decoration in many to follow. The final count from World Championships was stopped at eight, making her one of the biggest names in the history of the sport. 

While her inaugural medal was a silver one, the gold was there for the taking, and Mary fully delivered on her intent not to lose too many boxing matches.  The Indian legendary boxer took home six gold medals from the World Boxing Championships. The best part is that she dominated the sport throughout two decades. Her first gold medal was won in 2002, while the last one was taken home in 2018. Between those she was also crowned as a champion in 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2010. 

As far as female boxing goes she is a record holder in terms of gold's won, and she also has a bronze to boast as she won that medal in 2019. Mary Kom was the first Indian boxer to take home the gold from a World Championship and her name was written in history books way back in 2002. Since then she only added to her already massive legacy. While gold medals from World Championships are amazing, there is a medal she is more proud of. 

One of the biggest moments in the career of Mary Kom came at the 2012 London Olympics. These were the first summer games that had competition in women's boxing, and Mary Kon was the only athlete representing India in it. In 2012 the history of Indian boxing was written and rewritten as Mary managed to win the bronze in the women’s flyweight division. 

The success is more impressive than it first appears, as she was forced to jump through divisions. She was too light to compete, so she not only had to put on weight, but also fought many fighters that were physically imposing on her. Mary Kom's wins against Karolina Michalczuk of Poland and Tunisia’s Maroua Rahali are bouts that are talked about to this day. She eventually lost to Nicola Adams who won the gold in the end, and according to rules received a bronze as both losing semi finalist do when it comes to boxing. 

With an Olympic medal Mary Kom joined her compatriot Vijender Singh who took home the bronze home too at 2008 Beijing games as far as boxing goes, while she was only the third Indian athlete to have an Olympic medal as weightlifter Karnam Malleswari took one at Sydney 2000 games, and badminton player Saina Nehwal joined her in London. While she missed the 2016 Rio games, Mary got to appear at 2020 Tokyo games, which was her last appearance at the competition. 

Mary Kom's entire career was one of historic landmarks. She was also the first Indian female athlete to take home  gold medals from the Asian games and the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and 2018 respectively. As a five time Asian champion, her name will be mentioned in the history of Asian sports when talking about the greatest athletes of all time. 

In her homeland of India she is held in the highest regard and accolades blessed upon her in the form of Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Khel Ratna are a testimony to what she represents to her home nation. For a poor athlete from Manipur, to a World and Olympic medallist, and a representative at the Indian Upper House of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, Mary Kom has written a tale for ages.