Adversity brings out the best in you, provided you are prepared to fight, and MC Mary Kom is a perfect example of this. The most successful Indian woman boxer, who holds five world championship titles, was once no different from anyone else in a small village in Manipur. But she overcame all the hardships and challenges, gave Indian women’s boxing a new identity and is now a role model for the country’s youth.
From attacking opponents with power punches in the ring to being a good mother, she has been managing it all very well. Currently training in Patiala in her quest for gold at the 2012 Olympics, the champion boxer says her real test lies ahead. “It’s the first time that women’s boxing has been included in the Olympics, and I’ll be contesting the flyweight (48-51kg) category. It’s a real test now. I’m excited and living for my dream of winning gold at the 2012 Olympics. The first time I fought in the 51kg category was at the 2010 Asian Games. It doesn’t matter which category you fight in. It’s just a matter of the right training and willpower,” says Mary Kom, adding that she isn’t following any different approach for the Games.
“Well, there is nothing special that I’m doing. Right now I’m in Patiala, training the same way I always do. What I believe in is fighting with my own self to improve my future performances. Right now I’m working hard for the President’s Cup, to be held in Turkey later this year,” says the boxer, who started with athletics before switching to boxing.
“From childhood, I was always attracted to sport. I used to watch all the matches on TV, especially professional and amateur boxing. Athletics was my first choice, but it was boxing that attracted me more. It’s been 11 years in the ring and the journey is still on,” says the mother of two, who overcame the odds to reach where she is today.
“I come from a farming family, but my humble background never weakened my willpower. I always wanted to be a sportsperson, and here I am today. I faced a lot of problems in the early days, but I struggled hard. My father and mother, who were initially against my decision to take up boxing because they considered it a dangerous sport, supported me through all the ups and downs of my life. They worked hard to provide me with enough facilities. It is their sacrifices and support that have gone into the making of Mary Kom,” recalls the champion, adding that her early training days in her native place were full of challenges.
“Those days were quite challenging. However, things got better when I moved to Imphal. I trained under some of the finest coaches – the Manipur state coaches Narjit Singh and Kishan Singh – who taught me the finer details of the sport. As I started winning at the state and then the national level, things got much better in all respects,” says Mary Kom, who was inspired by the success of Dingko Singh to take up the sport.
“Muhammad Ali has been a great inspiration, and among Indian boxers it is Dingko Singh who really inspired me to work hard and win laurels for the country,” says the boxer.
Happy with the adulation she has been receiving from the Indian public, Mary Kom knows she has her share of detractors, and she wants to prove her critics wrong by winning a medal at the London Olympics. “I’m thankful to all the people who have supported me in all circumstances, whether in victory or defeat. The government and the associations have been very supportive. At the same time, there are plenty of people who have been criticising my boxing career. They think that, now that I am married and a mother of two, it’s better to sit back and that I won’t be able to give my best. On the contrary, I’m focusing only on the 2012 Olympics and I want to answer all the critics with my performance. That’s a real challenge for me,” says the champion, who has started a boxing academy in her home state with the aim of producing future champions like her.
“The MC Mary Kom Boxing Academy in Manipur was set up in 2005 with the sole idea of producing boxing champions. Right now there are about 30-35 boxers training under one coach at the academy, and 20 of them are given free accommodation and food. The Manipur government has said it will provide two acres of land to expand the academy,” she says, adding that managing everything – boxing, family, children and the academy – isn’t easy.
“It’s not easy. I get little time for my family, but I’m fortunate to have a great husband who takes care of things outside the ring. I miss home and my children. It’s challenging, but I have been managing it well with my husband’s support,” says the champion, adding that Olympic Gold Quest has played an immense role in her boxing career.
“Its role has been tremendous. The treatment I have received and the facilities provided to me have played a major role in bringing out the best in me. All my requirements are taken care of. I’m even provided with a personal physiotherapist. From time to time, foreign coaches are also invited to train us. Apart from OGQ, Sahara and Emami are also sponsoring me,” says Mary Kom, who has a message for all her fans: “Believe in yourself and give it your best shot. God never lets hard work go to waste. Believe in God and in yourself, and success will never be far away.”
Achievements
International
- 1st Asian Women’s Boxing Championship (AWBC), Bangkok, 2001
- 2nd AWBC, Hisar, Haryana, 2003
- 3rd AWBC, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, 2005
- Silver medal – 2001 Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships, Pennsylvania, USA
- Gold medal – 2002 Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships, Antalya, Turkey
- Gold medal – 2005 Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships, Podolsk, Russia
- Gold medal – 2006 World Women’s Boxing Championship, New Delhi, India
- 1st WWB Tournament, Norway, 2004
- Venus Cup International Women’s Boxing Tournament, Vejle, Denmark, 2006
- Gold medal – 2008 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship, Ningbo, China
- Gold medal – Asian Women’s Boxing Championship, Astana, Kazakhstan
- Bronze medal – 2010 Asian Games, Guangzhou, China
- Gold medal – 2010 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship, Barbados
- Arjuna Award (Boxing), 2004
- Padma Shri (Sports), 2006
- Contender for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, 2007
- People of the Year – Limca Book of Records, 2007
- CNN-IBN ‘Real Heroes’ Award, 2008
- ‘Magnificent Mary’, AIBA, 2008
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, New Delhi, 29 August 2009
- International Boxing Association’s Ambassador for Women’s Boxing, 2009
- Sportswoman of the Year, Sahara Sports Awards, 2010
- Gold medal – 6th AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship, 2010
- Gold medal – 5th Asian Women’s Boxing Championship, 2010
National
- Gold – 1st Women’s National Boxing Championship, Chennai, 2001
- East Open Boxing Championship, Bengal, 2001
- 2nd Senior Women’s Boxing Championship, New Delhi, 2001
- National Women’s Sports Meet, New Delhi, 2001
- 32nd National Games, Hyderabad, 2002
- 3rd Senior Women’s Boxing Championship, Aizawl, 2003
- 4th Senior Women’s Boxing Championship, Kokrajhar, Assam, 2004
- 5th Senior Women’s Boxing Championship, Kerala, 2004
- 6th Senior Women’s Boxing Championship, Jamshedpur, 2005
- 10th Women’s National Boxing Championship, Jamshedpur, 2009 (lost in the quarter-finals)
- Gold medal – 57th All India Police Meet, 2010
By Akshi Aggarwal
Indian Sports News
