Mary Kom

For the 2014 film about Mary Kom, see Mary Kom (film)
Mary Kom

Kom speaking at the British High Commission in Delhi, 2011
Personal information
Birth name Mangte Chungneijang
Full name Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom
Nickname(s) Magnificent Mary
Nationality Indian
Born (1983-03-01) 1 March 1983[1]
Kangathei, Manipur, India
Residence Imphal, Manipur, India
Occupation MP of Rajya Sabha (nominated) from 25th April, 2016 to 24th April, 2022
Height 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)
Weight 51 kg (112 lb)
Spouse(s) Karung Onkholer Kom
Sport
Country India
Sport Boxing (Rated at 47kg, 48kg, 51kg)
Coached by M. Narjit Singh, Charles Atkinson, Rongmei Josiah
Medal record
Representing  India
Women's boxing
Summer Olympics
2012 London Flyweight (51kg)
Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2002 Antalya 45 kg
2005 Podolsk 46 kg
2006 New Delhi 46 kg
2008 Ningbo City 46 kg
2010 Bridgetown 48 kg
2001 Scranton 45 kg
Asian Women's Boxing Championship
2003 Hissar Pinweight
2005 Kaohsiung Pinweight
2010 Astana Flyweight
2012 Ulaanbaatar Flyweight
2008 Guwahati Pinweight
Asian Games
2014 Incheon Flyweight (51kg)
2010 Guangzhou Flyweight (51kg)
Indoor Asian Games
2009 Hanoi Pinweight
Asian Cup Women's Boxing Tournament
2011 Haikou 48 kg
Witch Cup
2002 Pécs Pinweight

Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom (born 1 March 1983[1]), known simply as Mary Kom,[2] is a boxer from the Sino-Tibetan speaking Kom tribe in Manipur, representing India. She 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.[3] Nicknamed "Magnificent Mary", 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.[4] She has also been ranked as No. 4 AIBA World Women's Ranking Flyweight category.[5] She became the first Indian woman boxer to get a Gold Medal in the Asian Games in 2014 in Incheon, South Korea.[6] On 26th April 2016, she was nominated by the President of India as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament.[7]

Early life

Kom was born in Kangathei, in Churachandpur district of Manipur in eastern India. Her parents, Mangte Tonpa Kom and Mangte Akham Kom, worked in jhum fields.[8] She did her education from Loktak Christian Model High School, Moirang, up to her class VI standard and attended St. Xavier Catholic School, Moirang, up to class VIII. She then moved to Adimjati High School, Imphal, for her schooling for class IX and X, but was unable to pass the matriculation exam. Not wishing to reappear for them, she quit her school and gave her examination from NIOS, Imphal and graduation from Churachandpur College.[9]

Although she had a keen interest in athletics from childhood, it was the success of Dingko Singh that inspired her to become a boxer in 2000. She started her training under M. Narjit Singh, Manipur State Boxing Coach at Khuman Lampak, Imphal.[10]

Return to boxing

After a two-year break, she won a silver medal at the 2008 Asian Women's Boxing Championship in India[11] and a fourth successive gold medal at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship in China,[12] followed by a gold medal at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam.[11]

In 2010, Kom won the gold medal at the Asian Women's Boxing Championship in Kazakhstan,[11] and at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship in Barbados, her fifth consecutive gold at the championship. She competed in Barbados in the 48 kg weight category, after AIBA had stopped using the 46 kg class.[13] In the 2010 Asian Games, she competed in the 51 kg class - the lowest in the contest - and won a bronze medal. In 2011, she won gold in the 48 kg class at the Asian Women's Cup in China.

On 3 October 2010, she, along with Sanjay and Harshit Jain, had the honour of bearing the Queen's Baton in its opening ceremony run in the stadium for the 2010 Commonwealth Games of Delhi.[14][15] She did not compete, however, as women's boxing was not included in the Commonwealth Games.

On 1 October 2014, she won her first Gold Medal at the Asian Games held at Incheon, South Korea by beating Kazakhstan’s Zhaina Shekerbekova in the flyweight (51 kg) summit clash.

Olympic Games

Kom, who had previously fought in the 46 and 48 kg categories, shifted to the 51 kg category after the world body decided to allow women’s boxing in only three weight categories eliminating the lower weight classes.

At the 2012 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship, Kom was competing not just for the championship itself but also for a place at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the first time women's boxing had featured as an Olympic sport. She was defeated in the 51 kg quarter-finals by Nicola Adams of the UK, but did succeed in getting a place for the Olympics. She was the only Indian woman to qualify for boxing event, with Laishram Sarita Devi narrowly missing a place in the 60 kg class.[16]

Kom was accompanied to London by her mother[17] and husband . 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, which is mandatory for accreditation.[18] She had all her luggage and passport stolen on the way to the selection camp in Bangkok, Thailand for her first Asian Women’s Boxing Championships.[19][20] The first Olympic round was held on 5 August 2012, with Kom defeating Karolina Michalczuk of Poland 19-14 in the third women's boxing match ever to be fought at the Olympics.[21][22] In the quarter-final, the following day, she defeated Maroua Rahali of Tunisia with a score of 15-6.[23] She faced Nicola Adams of UK in the semi-final on 8 August 2012 and lost the bout 6 points to 11.[24] However, she stood third in the competition and garnered an Olympic Bronze medal.[25][26][27] In recognition, the Manipur Government awarded her Rs 50 lakhs and two acres of land a cabinet meeting held on 9 August 2012.[28]

Super Fight League

Kom appeared on the final episode of the Super Fight League's mixed martial arts reality show - SFL Challengers. During this time Kom was in talks with owners Raj Kundra and Sanjay Dutt to work with the SFL in some manner other than being a fighter.[29]

On 24 September, the Super Fight League announced that Kom will serve as the SFL's brand ambassador.[30][31]

Achievements

International titles[32]
Year Place Weight Competition Location
2001 Second 48 Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA
2002 First 45 Women's World Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsAntalya, 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 Guwahati, India
2009 First 46 Asian Indoor Games Hanoi, Vietnam
2010 First 48 Women's World Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsBridgetown, Barbados
2010 First 46 Asian Women's Championships Astana, Kazakhstan
2010 Third 51 Asian GamesGuangzhou, China
2011 First 48 Asian Women's Cup Haikou, China
2012 First 41 Asian Women's Championships Ulan Bator, Mongolia
2012 Third 51 Summer OlympicsLondon, United Kingdom
2014 First 51 Asian GamesIncheon, South Korea
National

Awards and recognitions

In 2015, Mary Kom became the first amateur to surpass several professional athletes in India in earnings, endorsements and awards. She is the first amateur athlete to win the Padma Bhushan.

Kom with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
For the Bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics

Media

Her autobiography, Unbreakable, was co-authored by Dina Serto[46] and published by Harper Collins in late 2013.[47]

In 2014, Priyanka Chopra played the main role as Mary Kom in biographical film about her life. Although the mother tongue of Mary is Kom language, a Sino-Tibetan language, the movie features another Sino-Tibetan language, Meithei, which is the lingua franca in the Manipur mountains.

The movie is directed by Omung Kumar and was released on 5 September 2014.[48]

Personal life

She first met her husband in 2001 when Kom was in New Delhi on her way to the National Games in Punjab and Onler was studying law at Delhi University. After four years of dating they got married in 2005.[49]

Together they have 3 sons: twins Rechungvar and Khupneivar(2007);[50] as well as son Prince (May 2013).[51][52]

Association with social causes

Mary Kom is a supporter of animal rights, and has associated with animal rights organization, PETA India, to call for an end to use of elephants in circuses by starring in an ad. "Circuses are cruel places for animals where they are beaten and tortured. As a mother, I can imagine what animals go through when their children are taken away from them to forcefully perform in circuses. It's sad," Mary has been quoted saying in the media.[53]

Mary has also backed PETA India's humane education campaign, Compassionate Citizen. She has written a letter to the education ministers of states and union territories across India requesting that the programme be incorporated into the official curriculum of schools. In an interview to Times of India she has been quoted saying "One of the best ways to knock out cruelty to animals is to teach compassion to young people. Animals need us in their corner. With violence seemingly all around us, it is more important than ever that we teach lessons of respect and kindness in the classroom.[54]"

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Kom, Mary (2013). Unbreakable.
  2. ↑ "Mary Kom Review". Mid-day. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  3. ↑ I see India. "Magnificent Mary". On Mary Kom. I see India. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  4. ↑ "Olympics: Mary Kom loses SF 6-11, wins bronze". IBN Live. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "AIBA World Women's Ranking". AIBA. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  6. ↑ Gold s/asian-games-2014-day-12-live-india-women-aim-for-hockey-bronze-mary-kom-in-striking-distance-of-gold/ Kom wins th
  7. ↑ Bhandaram, Vishnupriya (26 April 2016). "Parliament Live: Mary Kom and Subramanian Swamy take oath in Rajya Sabha". Firstpost. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "NE India:Indigenous Women dream to win World Boxing Champion 2012".
  9. ↑ Chitra Garg (2010). Indian Champions: Profiles Of Famous Indian Sportspersons. Rajpal & Sons. pp. 93–. ISBN 978-81-7028-852-7. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  10. ↑ Williams, Dee (6 February 2008). "Mary Kom". (WBAN) Women Boxing Archive Network. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  11. 1 2 3 E-Pao. "Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom :: Manipur Olympic Dreams 2012 London". About Mary Kom. E-Pao. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  12. ↑ Mary makes women's boxing's Olympic case stronger: AIBA President
  13. ↑ Laxmi Negi (19 September 2010). "Mary Kom wins fifth successive World Boxing Championship gold". The Times of India.
  14. ↑ World News. "Mc Mary Kom Aiba Women's World Boxing Championship". About Mary Kom. World News. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  15. ↑ "Baton for Commonwealth Games to enter India today". The Times of India. 25 June 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  16. ↑ Times of India (18 May 2012). "Mary Kom qualifies for London Olympics". Times of India. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  17. ↑ "London calling for Mary Kom's mom too". The Times Of India. 20 July 2012.
  18. ↑ "Mary Kom's American coach not to be with her at Olympics". The Times Of India. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  19. ↑ "Mary Kom Biography". women planet.
  20. ↑ "Mary Kom, husband disclose their love story". The Times Of India. 9 December 2013.
  21. ↑ AIBA (5 August 2012). "Women make history". Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  22. ↑ "Mary Kom proud to win on historic day". The Times of India. 5 August 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  23. ↑ "Mary Kom storms into semis, assures India of a medal". The Hindustan Times. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  24. ↑ Bakowski, Gregg (8 August 2012). "Nicola Adams beats Mary Kom to reach 51kg Olympic final". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  25. ↑ "Mary Kom attempts to create history in Olympics boxing by reaching final". The Times Of India. 8 August 2012.
  26. ↑ Sorry I couldn't win Gold or Silver: Mary Kom after winning Bronze | Boxing | NDTVSports.com
  27. ↑ "Mary Kom didn't play her natural game, say pugilists". The Times Of India. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  28. ↑ "London Olympics 2012: Manipur to award Rs. 75 lakh to Mary Kom". The Times Of India. 10 August 2012.
  29. ↑ "Mary Kom to strike long-term partnership with SFL owners". hindustantimes.com. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  30. ↑ "Mary Kom brand ambassador of Raj Kundra's SFL". newstrackindia.com. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  31. ↑ "Super Fight League ropes in Mary Kom as brand ambassador". timesofindia.com. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  32. ↑ "AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships Qinhuangdao 2012 Athletes Biographies" (PDF). International Boxing Association. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  33. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160415122919/http://www.nbc40.net/news/aiba-announces-mary-kom-as-a-brand-ambassador-for-womens-world-championships-317/
  34. 1 2 "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  35. ↑ "President Pratibha Patil presents Khel Ratna, Arjuna awards". Hindustan Times. 29 August 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  36. ↑ "Mary Kom, Vijender and Sushil get Khel Ratna". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 29 July 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  37. ↑ Manipur Express, 31 June 2006 Sat, Ed. L. Chinkhanlian, Lamka; The Sangai Express, 19 April 2008, Imphal
  38. ↑ Zamzachin, Dr. G. (3 November 2009). "MARY KOM MC (Mangte Chungneijang)". Zogam.Com. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  39. ↑ "Sahara Sports Awards: Sushil Kumar, Mary Kom get top honours". 31 October 2010.
  40. ↑ PTI 13 August 2012, 05.17PM IST (19 September 2010). "Rajasthan announces cash awards for Olympic winners Vijay Kumar, Sushil Kumar, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and others - Economic Times". Economictimes.indiatimes.com.
  41. ↑ "Manipur govt announces Rs 75 lakh award for Mary Kom - The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 10 August 2012.
  42. ↑ Bikash Singh, ET Bureau 9 August 2012, 11.32PM IST (9 August 2012). "London Olympics: Assam announces Rs 20 lakh for Mary Kom - Economic Times". Articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com.
  43. ↑ ANI (20 April 2011). "Arunachal Govt. honours Mary Kom, announces 10 lakh award - Yahoo! News India". In.news.yahoo.com.
  44. ↑ "Rs 10 Lakh Reward to Mary Kom for Olympics Feat". news.outlookindia.com. 10 August 2012.
  45. ↑ "Olympics 2012: Bronze medalist Mary Kom to get Rs40 lakh from NEC - Sport - DNA". Dnaindia.com.
  46. ↑ KHELEN THOKCHOM (18 December 2013). "Twins release Unbreakable". The Telegraph (Calcutta). Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  47. ↑ "Mary Kom's autobiography released by Sushmita Sen". The Times Of India. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  48. ↑ Masand, Rajeev (8 September 2014). "'Mary Kom' review: The film is watchable, but never great like it should've been". CNN-IBN. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  49. ↑ "Olympian Mary Kom was molested when she was 18". Biharprabha News. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  50. ↑ http://www.telegraphindia.com/1131219/jsp/northeast/story_17694574.jsp#.Vto5kubvBFt
  51. ↑ Kumar, Priyanka (8 March 2012). "MC Mary Kom: Boxer, mother, icon". IBN Live. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  52. ↑ "For Mary Kom, life comes second to Olympic dream". First Post. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  53. ↑ "Boxer Mary Kom lends support to PETA campaign for elephants". Times of India. 26 October 2014.
  54. ↑ News "Mary Kom joins hands with PETA to promote humane education" Check |url= value (help). 25 September 2013.

Further reading

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