Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'The Legend called Mary Kom!' that was published in Newsband

The Legend called Mary Kom!

Mary Kom won sixth World Championship gold. Thus she has proved that she is one the greatest boxers. She has enhanced her already legendary status. She defeated Ukraine’s Hanna Okhota in the 48 kg segment of the Women’s World Boxing Championship in Delhi.

Mary Kom has thus drawn her level with Félix Savón, the Cuban great who ruled amateur boxing in the 1980s and 1990s. Kom has always defied the odds. She has busted gender stereotypes. She could achieve this feat in spite of the lack of resources and poor infrastructure. She firmed up Manipur’s place on India’s talent map, brought India on the world boxing landscape, and reinforced women’s sport.

Kom is now 35 and a mother of three. She has an overall haul of seven medals, including a silver on debut in 2001. She was a bronze medallist at the 2012 London Olympics. The latest of her six world titles, secured after a gap of eight years, was the toughest of them all. She also had to bear the additional pressure of the expectations of home crowds.

Kom will switch to the 51 kg weight class in the pursuit of a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She will have to fight with younger and stronger rivals in a higher weight category. Hailed as ‘Magnificent Mary’ by the International Boxing Association, Kom has been an inspiration globally. She is also a Rajya Sabha member of Parliament and idol for many upcoming women boxers.

 M.C. Mary Kom got emotional after winning record sixth gold. India ended the championships with 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze — from Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Simranjit Kaur (64kg). Mary Kom’s great stature has now touched a new high. The diminutive Mary now stands as the tallest woman boxer.  

In a hard-fought duel between two southpaws, Mary showcased her beautiful assortment of right jabs and well-rehearsed combinations to seize the initiative. The Ukrainian employed her quick hands and tested Mary thoroughly in the second round. With the competition got more intense, Mary lifted her game and attacked in the final round. Amidst the exchange of blows, Hanna displayed some gamesmanship and invited the Indian to land more shots. At last Mary was declared a winner amidst deafening cheers. The Indian could not hold back her tears as she thanked the fans for their whole-hearted support. She has made a humble statement: ‘I don’t have anything to give except for a gold medal to the country.’

However, Sonia Chahal (57kg), the other Indian in the finals, lost 4-1 to former World youth champion Ornelia Wahner of Germany and had to be satisfied with a silver medal. Sonia deserved credit for standing like a rock despite being taken to task by the German. Overall, Indian boxers gave an improved performance as they secured four medals. In the previous edition, India had managed just one silver medal.

It has been a challenging journey for the 35-year-old, who has displayed tremendous grit, game sense, tactical acumen and superb fitness to get the better of younger opponents. She (Mary) is a strong boxer, an Indian star and a women’s boxing legend. Mary is focused on her job. Mary Kom showed how experience and smartness can turn things around.