Mary Kom became the first Indian woman boxer to win an Olympic medal, claiming bronze in the 51kg category.
Initially interested in athletics, Mary Kom switched to boxing as she found her inspiration from another Manipuri puglisit Dingko Singh who won gold at the 1998 Asian Games.
Her coach at the time, K Kosana Meitei noticed Mary’s spark and acumen to pick up the basics of boxing.
Mary Kom’s love for the sport only grew deeper and she first created waves in 2000, winning both the Manipur State Boxing Championship and the West Bengal Regional Championship.
In 2001, at just 18 years old, Mary Kom won silver in the 48 kg category at the AIBA women’s World Boxing Championship in Scranton, USA.
Although she was easily outboxed in the final by Hulya Sahin, a much more experienced opponent, Mary Kom had announced her arrival on the international stage.
It also began Mary’s well-documented love story with the boxing world championships.
Picture Credit : Google
