Producer: Peuli Bakshi
Mary Kom (40), known as ‘Magnificent Mary’, is India’s first-ever Olympic medallist in women’s boxing.
The world-famous sportsperson’s 20-year boxing journey started when she was 15 years old.
She is currently a member of parliament in Rajya Sabha, and the national observer for boxing in India.
She is the first Indian woman boxer who won an Asian Games title. Mary won gold at the 2014 Asian Games, South Korea.
Mary is the only Indian female boxer who has qualified and won a bronze medal in the flyweight category at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, UK.
The boxing champion is the only female boxer in the world who has bagged the World Amateur Boxing champion title 6 times.
She is the first Indian female boxer who won a gold medal at Commonwealth Games. She won it in 2018 at Queensland, Australia.
The International Boxing Association (amateur) has ranked her as the world’s number 1 in women’s light-flyweight ranking.
Mary is the first woman sportsperson who has won a Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour. She received it in 2020.
She was also honoured with the Global Indian Icon of the Year award at the annual UK-India Awards in Windsor, England on June 29, 2023.