Mary Kom
Six-time world champion boxer and Olympic medallist
- Age
- 44 yrs
- Birthday in 124 days
- Works listed
- 0
- Career highlights
- Honours
- 5
- Most recent 2020
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Mary Kom is a boxer from Manipur who won a record six world amateur titles and an Olympic bronze medal at London 2012. A mother of four who kept winning after childbirth, she has served in the Rajya Sabha and received the Padma Vibhushan.
Biography
Farmer’s daughter
Mary Kom grew up in a poor farming family of the Kom tribe in Manipur. She was a promising athlete and took up boxing in 2000, inspired by Manipuri boxer Dingko Singh’s 1998 Asian Games gold, initially hiding it from her father.
World champion
She won silver at the first women’s world championships in 2001 and then won world titles in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008. After the birth of twin sons she returned to win a fifth world title in 2010.
London 2012
Women’s boxing entered the Olympics in 2012, but only in three weight classes, so she moved up to the 51 kg flyweight division and won bronze, becoming India’s first female Olympic boxing medallist. In 2018, aged 35, she won a record sixth world title and Commonwealth Games gold.
Public life
Mary Kom was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 2016 to 2022. She runs a boxing academy in Imphal, wrote the autobiography Unbreakable, and was played by Priyanka Chopra in the film Mary Kom (2014). She received the Padma Vibhushan in 2020.
Why they matter
Mary Kom’s six world titles are the most won by any woman at the amateur world championships, equalling the men’s record held by Cuba’s Félix Savón. But her story resonates in India because of what she overcame: poverty in Manipur, a sport few women were allowed to take up, and the expectation that she would retire after marriage and motherhood. She won world titles before and after having children, and her success helped make Manipur and the Northeast a powerhouse of Indian sport, inspiring later Olympic medallists such as Mirabai Chanu and Lovlina Borgohain.
Timeline
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1982
Born in Kangathei, Churachandpur district, Manipur
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2000
Takes up boxing
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2002
First world title
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2008
Fourth world title
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2010
Fifth world title after becoming a mother
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2012
Olympic bronze in London
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2014
Biopic Mary Kom released
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2016
Nominated to the Rajya Sabha
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2018
Sixth world title; Commonwealth gold
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2020
Padma Vibhushan
Awards and honours
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Arjuna Award
2003
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Padma Shri
2006
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Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
2009
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Padma Bhushan
2013
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Padma Vibhushan
2020
Did you know?
-
1
She hid her boxing from her father at first.
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2
Priyanka Chopra played her in a 2014 biopic.
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3
She won world titles before and after having children.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Mary Kom?
Mary Kom is a boxer from Manipur who won a record six world amateur titles and an Olympic bronze medal at London 2012. A mother of four who kept winning after childbirth, she has served in the Rajya Sabha and received the Padma Vibhushan.
How old is Mary Kom?
Mary Kom is 44 years old, born on 1 March 1982 in Kangathei, Churachandpur district, Manipur.
Where is Mary Kom from?
Mary Kom was born in Kangathei, Churachandpur district, Manipur.
What is Mary Kom known for?
Mary Kom is best known for Six world titles; Olympic bronze at London 2012.
What awards has Mary Kom received?
Notable honours include Arjuna Award (2003), Padma Shri (2006), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2009), Padma Bhushan (2013).
References
- Mary Kom — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mary Kom — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mary Kom — Olympics.com athlete profile. Olympics.com. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mary Kom — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mary Kom — Olympedia. Olympedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mary Kom — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mary Kom (Q328951) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Mary Kom”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
Featured in
Activism & Humanitarian
Women who broke barriers in India
Teachers, poets, scientists, athletes and leaders: twelve Indian women who were the first to do what many thought women could not.
27 October 2026
Sports
India’s Olympic heroes: from Dhyan Chand to Neeraj Chopra
India’s Olympic story spans hockey gold in the 1920s, decades of near-misses and a new generation of medallists. Here are the athletes who shaped it.
27 October 2026
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Mary Kom.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/mary-kom
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