You are more powerful than you know- Mary Kom

“This medal is very special to me just like all other medals I have won because it has its own story of struggles. Every medal I have won is a story of a difficult struggle. I am hoping this medal, which has come after I became an MP, will enhance my reputation even further. I hope my stature grows” – Mary Kom after winning gold medals at the continental meet in the Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh.

When Mary Kom was 15, she took the decision to leave her hometown to study at the Sports academy in the state capital Imphal. Thereafter she trained under the Manipur State Boxing Coach M. Narjit Singh, at Khuman Lampak, Imphal. But Kom kept her passion in boxing a secret from her father. Her father was concerned that boxing would hurt Kom’s face and spoil her chances of marriage. Father of Mary Kom learnt of her passion 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 was convinced that Kom‘s passion lies in boxing only.

Mary Kom 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. Nicknamed “Magnificent Mary” in the boxing fraternity, 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. She has also been ranked as No. 4 AIBA World Women’s Ranking Flyweight category. She became the first Indian woman boxer to get a Gold Medal in the Asian Games in 2014 in Incheon, South Korea and is the first Indian Woman Boxer to win Gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

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. Mary Kom stood third in the competition and won an Olympic bronze medal.

An Olympic Bronze medal changed her life and Mary Kom became a household name in India.

Mary Kom has three sons, she is an MP of Rajya Sabha, she is an observer of government for boxing and still continues to fulfill all the responsibilities like a boss. She is an inspiration who started off from a very very humble family and won numerous medals at international level-

International titles
Year	Place	Weight	Competition	Location
2001	Second	48	Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships	Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States
2002	First	45	Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships	Antalya, Turkey
2002	First	45	Witch Cup	Pécs, Hungary
2003	First	46	Asian Women’s Championships	Hisar, India
2004	First	41	Women’s World Cup	Tønsberg, Norway
2005	First	46	Asian Women’s Championships	Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2005	First	46	Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships	Podolsk, Russia
2006	First	46	Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships	New Delhi, India
2006	First	46	Venus Women’s Box Cup	Vejle, Denmark
2008	First	46	Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships	Ningbo, China
2008	Second	46	Asian Women’s Championships	Guwahati, India
2009	First	46	Asian Indoor Games	Hanoi, Vietnam
2010	First	48	Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships	Bridgetown, Barbados
2010	First	46	Asian Women’s Championships	Astana, Kazakhstan
2010	Third	51	Asian Games	Guangzhou, China
2011	First	48	Asian Women’s Cup	Haikou, China
2012	First	41	Asian Women’s Championships	Ulan Bator, Mongolia
2012	Third	51	Summer Olympics	London, United Kingdom
2014	First	51	Asian Games	Incheon, South Korea
2017	First	48	Asian Women’s Championships	Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
2018	First	45-48	Commonwealth Games	Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

She continues to inspire millions of girls in India and abroad. Mary Kom continues to train for the love of her life i.e boxing and is preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

iChhori wishes her all the very best!