MARY KOM

MC Mary Kom

Born
State
Spouse
Profession
Height
Educational Qualification
Children
Employed as
Interests

1 March, 1983
Manipur
K Onler Kom
Boxing (46 kg category)
1.58 m
B.A. IInd yr, Manipur University
Rechungvar Kom, Khupneivar Kom
DSP, Manipur Police Dept. (CID)
Martial arts and boxing

Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom (aka MC Mary Kom) is from tribal community of north eastern state Manipur called as Kangathei Village, Moirang Lamkhai. Her interest in boxing was inspired by the success of Manipuri male boxer Dingko Singh.

Initially Mary Kom tried to hide her interest in boxing from her family, since it was not considered a suitable sport for a woman. She only got into this sport in an effort to provide some financial support to her family. After her victory as Best Boxer at the First State Level Invitation women’s boxing championship in Manipur in 2000, her career became public and she started competing at international level at the age of 18.

She also boarded on an international campaign that has brought her a series of gold medals and honors, only with a few setbacks. For instance, on her way by train to the selection camp for her first Asian Women’s Boxing Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, she had all her luggage and her passport stolen. Her parents asked her to come home immediately and the stress followed. But the experiences only motivated her to work harder and punch harder.

Women’s boxing was a very recent introduction, but she only wanted to excel. The first International gold rush finally began with the Second Asian Women’s Championship in Hissar and rest was history. Her once-skeptical father accompanied his trail-blazing daughter to the ceremony in 2003 at which she was the first woman ever to receive India’s prestigious Arjuna award for her achievement in boxing.

This clever lady’s ring strategy is to simply cramp the opponent so that they don’t get any chance to free their arms. She uses her short height as an advantage by making her opponent run a lot in the ring which eventually tires them and help her win.

Mary Kom works out five to six hours a day to stay fit and healthy. Coming from a poor family who struggled to educate her siblings, Mary Kom’s success as a world champion is a testament to her determination, perseverance and drive to succeed. She would further like to share her boxing experiences while grooming new sports talent in Manipur.

MARY KOM:

“I was initially an all-round athlete, and 400-m and javelin were my pet events. When Dingko Singh returned from Bangkok (Asian Games) with gold, I thought I should give it a try. Dingko’s success triggered a revolution of sort in Manipur and surprisingly I found that I was not the only girl who was drawn into boxing”

“I still remember I was castigated by my father who said with a battered and bruised face, I should not expect to get married. He was furious that I took to boxing – a taboo for women – and he did not have the slightest idea about it. But my passion for the sport had got the better of me and I thank my cousins who coaxed and cajoled my father into eventually giving his nod. I’m happy that I did not let anybody down”

“To be a successful boxer one must also have a strong heart. Some women are physically strong but fail when it comes to having a strong heart. One also must have the zeal and the right fighting spirit. We work harder than men and are determined to fight with all our strength to make our nation proud. God has given me the talent and it’s only because of sheer grit and hard work that I have made it so far.”

Want to bring changes in the law and order. “I am in the police force, but boxing keeps me busy. I have won an Olympic medal but my dream is not yet finished. It shall be fulfilled the day I do something in my department to fight crime”

“In the ring I can do anything, any style of boxing, movement or trick. But acting is very hard for me.”
Rarest, no-holds barred life story of the legend Iron lady MC Mary Kom– as it has never been told before. This movie will unveil never-before-told stories, peeling back layers of life tragedies hard work while unfolding the tale of triumph and survival. Theatrical, intimate, and unmatched, show played by Priyanka Chopra will reveal a true fighter behind the ring.

Academy

• Mary Kom initiated to run a free boxing academy at Imphal in 2006. And today it has more than 40 students, half of them day scholars, the other half boarders. Mary keeps the girls in her own home and has rented a house for the boys which is now has been gifted by the state government after she won her first championship.
• The idea behind the academy was to find talent among Manipur’s poor families, the underprivileged. She believes boxing has done wonders for her and is hoping the same for them. Mary Kom also works with the Manipur police and runs the academy with whatever she earns by endorsing Herbal Life and Sahara products.
• MC Mary Kom is on the way to start a boxing academy at a 100-acre housing project on the Yamuna Expressway. The academy claims to be the first of its kind in North India and is an initiative to endorse global sports.

Awards

» YFLO Women Achiever 2009-2010 (FCCI Ladies Organization)

» Sports Women of the year 2008-2009 (Sahara India Pariwar)

» North East Excellence Award 2009 (8th – 9th January 2010, Calcutta)

» Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2009 (29 August 2009, Rastrapati Bhavan, New Delhi)

» Param Poojaniya Shri Guruji Puruskar 2009 (RSS Jankalyan, Maharashtra Prant)

» Pepsi MTV Youth Icon 2008

» Indian Real Heroes Awards 2007 (CNN-IBN, Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai)

» People of the Year for 2007 (Limca Book of Records) India at her Best

» NETV People’s Choice Awards 2006

» Padma Shri Award for the year 2005 (20th March 2006)

» Arjuna Award for the year 2003 (21st September 2004)