Mary Kom is an Indian amateur boxer and politician who is one of the greatest boxers her country has ever produced and a former nominated Member of the Rajya Sabha. Nicknamed “Magnificent Mary,” she is the only woman to have won the World Amateur Boxing Championship six times, the only boxer to win eight World Championship medals, and the only Indian woman boxer to win an Olympic medal, taking bronze at the 2012 London Games. A trailblazer for women’s boxing in India, particularly from the north-east, she served in India’s upper house of Parliament from 2016 to 2022 and remains a celebrated national icon and an inspiration to a generation of athletes.
Mary Kom Biography, Wiki
| Field | Details |
| Full Name | Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom |
| Nickname | Magnificent Mary |
| Date of Birth | 24 November 1982 |
| Age (2026) | 43 years |
| Birthplace | Kangathei, Churachandpur, Manipur, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Community | Kom tribe (Manipur) |
| Height | 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in) |
| Rajya Sabha Term | 25 April 2016 to 24 April 2022 (nominated) |
| Olympic Medal | Bronze, flyweight, London 2012 |
| World Titles | Six-time world champion |
Mary Kom Details
| Area | Detail |
| World Championships | A record six-time world champion, eight medals |
| Olympics | Bronze at the 2012 London Olympics |
| Asian Games | Gold at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games |
| Commonwealth Games | Gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Games |
| Parliament | Nominated Member of the Rajya Sabha, 2016 to 2022 |
| Honours | Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri |
Mary Kom Events
| Year | Event |
| 24 November 1982 | Born in Kangathei, Churachandpur, Manipur |
| 2002 | Won her first world championship title |
| 2012 | Won Olympic bronze at the London Games |
| 2014 | Won Asian Games gold in Incheon |
| 2016 | Nominated to the Rajya Sabha |
| 2018 | Won her sixth world title and Commonwealth gold |
| 2022 | Completed her term in the Rajya Sabha |
Mary Kom Early Life
Mary Kom was born Mangte Chungneijang Kom on 24 November 1982 in Kangathei, in the Churachandpur district of Manipur, in north-east India, into a family belonging to the Kom tribal community. She grew up in modest, rural circumstances, the daughter of farming parents, and worked to help support her family from a young age. Inspired in part by the success of a fellow Manipuri boxer, she took up the sport as a teenager, initially keeping it secret from her father, and quickly displayed the natural talent and fierce determination that would define her remarkable career.
Mary Kom Boxing Career
Mary Kom’s Rise and World Titles
Mary Kom rose to prominence in amateur boxing in the early 2000s with extraordinary speed. She won her first World Amateur Boxing Championship title in 2002 and went on to build one of the most dominant records in the history of the sport, winning the world championship a record six times and becoming the only boxer to win a medal in each of the first seven editions of the championships she contested. Her collection of eight World Championship medals stands as an unmatched achievement, cementing her status as the finest woman boxer of her era.
Mary Kom and the 2012 Olympics
Mary Kom made history at the 2012 London Olympics, the first Games at which women’s boxing was contested. Competing in the flyweight division, she won the bronze medal, becoming the only Indian woman boxer to win an Olympic medal and one of the standout stories of those Games for India. The achievement carried special significance given the personal and financial hardships she had overcome, and it made her a household name across the country and a symbol of Indian sporting excellence.
Mary Kom’s Later Career and Honours
Mary Kom continued to compete at the highest level well into her thirties, adding further major honours to her name. She won gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon and gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, and she captured her historic sixth world title in 2018, remarkable achievements given her longevity in a demanding sport. Balancing her training with her parliamentary duties and family life, she remained a fierce competitor and a leading figure in Indian and world boxing for two decades.
Mary Kom’s Political Career
Mary Kom entered public life beyond sport when she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s Parliament, by the President of India in April 2016, under the provision for nominating distinguished individuals from fields such as sport. She served as a nominated Member of Parliament for a full term, from 2016 to 2022, during which she balanced her legislative responsibilities with her continuing boxing career, at times moving directly between parliamentary sessions and training. Her nomination recognised her exceptional contribution to Indian sport, and she was succeeded in the sports-nominee role by the athletics legend P. T. Usha.
Mary Kom’s Legacy and Cultural Impact
Mary Kom is widely regarded as a national icon and one of the greatest athletes in Indian history, whose influence extends far beyond her medals. She built the case for women’s boxing in India before the discipline had institutional support, and she did so as a woman from Manipur, helping bring greater national attention to athletes from the north-east. Her life story inspired an acclaimed Hindi-language biopic, which became one of the most-watched sports films in Indian cinema and brought her journey to a mass audience, further establishing her as a symbol of determination and possibility.
Mary Kom Personal Life
Mary Kom was married to Karong Onkholer “Onler” Kom from 2005, and the couple have four children; the marriage ended in divorce in 2023. She has often spoken about the challenges of balancing her demanding boxing career with motherhood, and she founded a boxing academy in Manipur to nurture young talent from her home region. She has remained closely connected to Manipur and to the promotion of the sport that made her famous, dedicating much of her energy to supporting the next generation of Indian boxers.
Mary Kom Height and Physical Profile
Mary Kom stands 1.58 metres, or 5 feet 2 inches, tall and competed primarily in the lighter weight divisions, including light flyweight and flyweight. Despite her small stature, she was renowned for her speed, aggression, technical skill and extraordinary competitive spirit, qualities that allowed her to dominate opponents and to remain a world-class competitor across an exceptionally long career.
Mary Kom Net Worth and Earnings
Mary Kom has built her wealth over a long and distinguished career through her achievements in boxing, government support and awards for her sporting success, endorsements, and her tenure as a Member of Parliament. A precise, reliably verified net-worth figure is not firmly established in the public record, however, so this profile does not assert one. Her income has derived from her boxing career, her commercial endorsements as one of India’s most admired athletes, and her public roles.
| Source | Detail |
| Net worth | Not reliably documented (treat estimates with caution) |
| Main income sources | Her boxing career, endorsements and public roles |
Mary Kom Social Media
Mary Kom maintains an active and popular presence on social media, where she shares her boxing legacy, her work with young athletes and aspects of her life with a large following of admirers across India and beyond.
| Platform | Handle | Notes |
| @mcmary.kom | Career and personal content | |
| X (Twitter) | @MangteC | Updates and interactions |
Mary Kom Controversies
No major personal controversy involving Mary Kom surfaced in the material examined for this profile. A notable point of public debate concerned the 2014 biopic about her life, in which the casting of a non-Manipuri actor to play her drew criticism in the north-east, though this was a matter concerning the film rather than Kom herself. Coverage of her has focused overwhelmingly on her achievements, her pioneering role and her national iconic status.
Lesser Known Facts About Mary Kom
- Her full name is Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom.
- She is from the Kom tribal community of Manipur.
- She initially kept her boxing secret from her father.
- She is the only woman to win six world championship titles.
- She is the only Indian woman boxer to win an Olympic medal.
- She was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2016.
- Her life inspired a popular Hindi biopic.
Mary Kom FAQ
Who is Mary Kom?
She is an Indian amateur boxing legend, nicknamed “Magnificent Mary,” and a former nominated Member of the Rajya Sabha.
How old is Mary Kom?
Born on 24 November 1982, she will be 43 years old in 2026.
What is Mary Kom best known for?
She is best known as a six-time World Amateur Boxing champion and the only Indian woman boxer to win an Olympic medal, a bronze at the 2012 London Games.
When was Mary Kom in the Rajya Sabha?
She served as a nominated Member of the Rajya Sabha from 2016 to 2022.
How many world championships has Mary Kom won?
She won the World Amateur Boxing Championship a record six times and won eight World Championship medals in total.
What Olympic medal did Mary Kom win?
She won a bronze medal in the flyweight division at the 2012 London Olympics.
Where is Mary Kom from?
She was born in Kangathei, in the Churachandpur district of Manipur, in north-east India.
What awards has Mary Kom received?
She has received India’s Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri honours, among many other awards.
Was there a film about Mary Kom?
Yes, a popular Hindi-language biopic about her life was released in 2014, bringing her story to a mass audience.
How tall is Mary Kom?
She stands 1.58 metres, or 5 feet 2 inches, tall.
Sources
Google Arts & Culture, Mary Kom,
https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/mary-kom/m051wzcl
PRS India, M.C. Mary Kom,
https://prsindia.org/mptrack/rajya-sabha/mcmarykom
Anantam IAS, Mary Kom: Six-Time World Boxing Champion and Olympic Medallist,
https://anantamias.com/mary-kom-boxer/
Sportskeeda, Mary Kom to skip World Championships and Asian Games,
https://www.sportskeeda.com/boxing/news-mary-kom-skip-world-championships-asian-games-will-focus-commonwealth-games