Mary Kom
Mary Kom
Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, better known as Mary Kom, is an Indian boxer hailing from the Kom tribe in Manipur. 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. Nicknamed "Magnificent Mary", she is the only Indian woman boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, competing in the flyweightcategory and winning the bronze medal. She has also been ranked as No...
NationalityIndian
ProfessionBoxer
Date of Birth1 March 1983
CountryIndia
I started athletics in 1999, throwing discus and shot put. I didn't tell my family when I started boxing.
Without boxing, I can't live. I love boxing.
Like every other athlete, I always dreamt of playing at the Olympics, and it feels really good to see that dream materialize.
I look like I'm Chinese or Thai or Japanese - very different.
I took up boxing out of sheer interest and to help my parents financially.
My normal weight category is 48 kg. So for the 51 kg. category, I had to depend on lots of food and drinks before going in for the weigh-in. But that does not make my strength, my muscles. It's a little bit different. If there's a 48 kg. category, it's a perfect fit for me.
In a sportsperson's life, pressure is always there; you have to learn to deal with it.
If I, being a mother of two, can win a medal, so can you all. Take me as an example and don`t give up,
I had no support, no opportunity, no sponsors backing me for most of my career.
Never buy gold, simply earn it
The incentive of a medal at the biggest sporting arena in the world is what drives me. Before I hang my gloves, I want to win the Olympic medal, and my performance at London will decide my future in the sport.
I miss my kids, and they miss me. It's very difficult, but I have to do it for my country and fulfill my dreams coming to the 2012 London Olympics.