In a bout fought on 8 August 2012 at the Excel Arena, star Indian
female Boxer Mary Kom got India its fourth medal in the London Olympics
2012, giving the country its biggest medal haul in the history of modern
Olympics. The ace pugilist, however, knocked out of the Olympic Games
flyweight (51 kg) semi-finals after she suffered an 11-6 defeat in the
hand of Britain’s Nicola Adams.
Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom popularly called Mary Kom or Magnificent
Mary got her place secured at London Olympics 2012 after winning 2012
AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship held in Qinhuangdao, China from 9
May to 22 May 2012. There too she had suffered a defeat to Nicola Adams
in the quarter-finals.
Kicking off her Olympics campaign on 5
August 2012, Mary Kom had beat Karolina Michalczuk of Poland 19-14 in
the in the first round. In the quarter-final, the following day, she
defeated Maroua Rahali of Tunisia 15-6, securing one medal for the
country. This was the first time when the women boxing event was
introduced in the Olympic games.
Born on 1 March 1983 in Kangathei in Manipur, India, Mary Kom turned
professional boxer after her victory in the Manipur state women's
boxing championship in 2000. Mary made her international debut at the
first AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship held in the United States,
where she bagged a silver medal in the 48 kg weight category.
Subsequently she won a gold medal in the 45 kg class at the second AIBA
Women's WorldBoxing Championship in Turkey in 2002. Kom has total 5
world boxing championship titles in his name.
The government of India had awarded her with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel
Ratna Award, country’s highest award given to sports persons, in 2009.
Besides she was also given the Arjuna Award in 2003 and Padma Shree
Award in 2006. She was also appointed the International Boxing
Association’s Ambassador for Women’s Boxing in 2009.
