Kom is the only woman boxer to become World Amateur Boxing champion for a record six times and only woman to clinch a medal in each one of the seven world championships.
Indian star boxer Mary Kom was adjudged best female athlete during the first-ever Awards for Asia ceremony organized by Asian Sportswriters Union in Kaula Lampur, Malaysia, in 2019.
The 36-year-old grappler had been rewarded for her splendid show in the Asian women boxing scene. Kom is the only woman boxer to become World Amateur Boxing champion for a record six times and only woman to clinch a medal in each one of the seven world championships.
Kom’s story is remarkable. Born in a poor region of India, it looked likely that she would end up working the land with her family. But – overcoming the objections from her family – she moved to the city, became a boxer after persuading a local coach to take her on, and worked her way up to becoming a champion.
Kom has since won a medal at all eight AIBA World Boxing Championships since its inception in 2001 (six golds, a silver and a bronze, most recently in 2019), risen to no.1 in the AIBA world rankings for a flyweight, and competed at the London 2012 Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal after being beaten by eventual champion Nicola Adams.
She was also the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Asian Games (in 2014) and at the Commonwealth Games (2018).
But she is a trailblazer in more ways than one. Kom has combined fighting with being a mother of three young children, she runs a sports club in her native Manipur, training youngsters to box for free, and she has become a member of the Indian Upper House of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, campaigning on numerous issues for her fellow citizens.
Unstoppable Acheivements
Her first career win came in 2000 when she won the Best Boxer Award at the First State Level Invitation at the women’s boxing championship in Manipur. After that she proceeded to win the gold in the Seventh East India Women’s Boxing Championship held in West Bengal.
A prolific sportswoman who demonstrated a relentless passion for the game, she won a total of five National Championships from 2000 to 2005.
Between 2001 and 2006, she won the AIBA world boxing championship thrice in 2002, 2005 and 2006, and came second in 2001.
In 2008, she participated at the Asian Women’s Boxing Championship in India where she won a silver medal. The same year she boxed at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in China where she earned the Gold medal—her fourth successive gold medal at the championship.
The coming years were also very productive for the gritty young lady. She went to Vietnam from where she returned with a gold medal at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games.
In Kazakhstan Mary won the gold medal at the Asian Women’s Boxing Championship in 2010. Then she proceeded to Barbados to register a career milestone—her fifth consecutive gold at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship.
A petite woman, she competed in the 51 kg class in the 2010 Asian Games and won a bronze medal. Again at the Asian Women’s Boxing Championship in Mongolia in 2012 she participated in the same weight category and won the gold.
In 2012, women’s boxing featured as an Olympic sport in the Summer Olympics in London for the first time. Mary did succeed in securing a place at the events and won a bronze medal.
In 2014 Asian Games, held in Incheon, South Korea, she won a Gold Medal in Flyweight category.
She is the only Indian female boxer to qualify for, and win a medal in the Olympics. Mary is the only female boxer to win a medal in six consecutive world championships.
She is the first Indian woman boxer to win a gold medal in the Asian Games.
She, along with Sanjay and Harshit Jain, bore the Queen’s Baton in the opening ceremony run in the stadium for the 2010 Commonwealth Games of Delhi. Mary Kom is the first amateur athlete to win the Padma Bhushan. She is the first amateur to surpass several professional athletes in India in earnings, endorsements and awards.
In 2001, she won Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships. In 2002, she won Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championshipsas well as Witch Cup. In 2003, she was awarded with Asian Women’s Championships and in 2004, she won Women’s World Cup. In 2005, she won Asian Women’s Championships and Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships.
In 2006, she was awarded with Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships as well as Venus Women’s Box Cup. In 2008, she got Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships and award of Guwahati, India. In 2009, Asian Indoor Games was given to her. In 2010, she was awarded with Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships and Asian Women’s Championships as well as Asian Games. In 2011, she was awarded with Asian Women’s Cup. In 2012, she was awarded with Asian Women’s Championships and Summer Olympics. In 2014, she had her achievements in Asian Games.
Under the national achievements, she got a Gold medal in 1st Women Nat. Boxing Championship, Chennai in 2001. In the same year, she was also awarded with The East Open Boxing Champ, Bengal, 2nd Sr World Women Boxing Championship, New Delhi and National Women Sort Meet, N. Delhi. In 2002, she played in 32nd National Games in Hyderabad. In 2003, she was awarded with the 3rd Sr World Women Boxing Champ, Aizawl.
In February 2004, she was awarded with the 4th Sr WWBC, Kokrajar, Assam and 5th Sr WWBC, Kerala in December. In 2005, she was awarded with 6th Sr WWBC, Jamshedpur.
Recognitions
In 2015, Mary Kom became the first amateur to surpass several professional athletes in India in earnings, endorsements and awards. She is the first amateur athlete to win the Padma Bhushan. Below is a list of all her recognitions:
- Padma Bhushan (Sports), 2013
- Arjuna Award (Boxing), 2003
- Padma Shree (Sports), 2006
- Contender for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, 2007
- People of the Year- Limca Book of Records, 2007
- CNN-IBN & Reliance Industries’ Real Heroes Award 14.4. 2008 Mon
- Pepsi MTV Youth Icon 2008
- ‘Magnificent Mary’, AIBA 2008
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, 2009
- International Boxing Association’s Ambassador for Women’s Boxing 2009 (TSE 30 July 2009 Thur)
