Mary Kom has brought India accolades in many international tournaments and is one of the best boxers in the nation at the moment. She is definitely an inspiration to many athletes who aspire to represent their country in a sport of their choice. Today this boxer is turning a year old and New Woman shares a few surprising facts about Mary Kom.
She won a medal in her very first tournament
In the last 5 or 6 years, Mary Kom has become one of the most successful female boxers in the world with her performances is different tournaments including the Olympics, however not many people are aware of the fact that when she appeared on the scene as an 18-year-old she showed the world what she was capable of. She went into the World Amateur Boxing Championship as an outsider who might just make up the numbers but she surprised everyone when she ended up winning the silver medal in her category.
She quit school to become a boxer
Mary Kom made the ultimate sacrifice by discontinuing her education from standard seven in order to make sure that she was able to devote more time towards boxing lessons. Mary had attended the prestigious St. Xavier’s School but left school and appeared for the final exams in private. She kept both sides of the bargain and became a professional boxer, while on the other hand, she completed her graduation from Churachadpur College in private.
She hardly got to eat meals worthy of a boxer ahead of the Olympics
In Mary Kom’s situation, she struggled to get enough food on the table that could be considered worthy of a boxer who has to burn huge amounts of energy during practice and of course during the actual fights. She went five years without any good diet, supplement, eggs, and breakfast. Considering the sort of diets elite boxers are accustomed to, it truly maker her achievements borderline superhuman.
She is the only player to have got a nickname from a boxing association
Sportsmen usually get their nicknames from fans or the global media who are enthralled by their performances but in the case of Mary Kom it was completely different and it is perhaps the only time in the history of sports that a sportsperson was given a nickname by a recognized sports body. After her outstanding performances in the year 2007, the International Amateur Boxing Association realized that she had made a telling contribution in creating interest in women’s boxing and in her honor she was given the nickname ‘Magnificent Mary’.
She has established a fight class for women to learn self-defense
The most interesting or rather little-known fact about Mary Kom is that although she has not found greatness and is a well-known person she has not shunned away from the responsibilities that she has as an inspiration as well as a woman of substance. She has established her own fight class in the city of Imphal where women are not only taught the art of boxing but also taught how to defend themselves when faced by anyone who might be more powerful. In this day and age, when Indian women are assaulted frequently across the different parts of the country, this fight class will certainly remain one of her great legacies.
