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Mary Kom (Boxer) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth1 March 1983

Age42 Years

BirthplaceKangathei, Manipur, India

ProfessionBoxer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusDivorced

SpouseKarung Onkholer Kom

FamilyFather - Mangte Tonpa Kom; Mother - Mangte Akham Kom; Siblings - Chung, Nei, Jang

Mary Kom (Boxer) Biography

Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte, widely known as Mary Kom or 'Magnificent Mary', is an Indian boxer from Kangathei, Manipur. A five-time world amateur boxing

Early life and background

Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte was born on 1 March 1983 in Kangathei, Manipur, and grew up in a family that worked the land through shifting cultivation. She attended schools in Moirang and Imphal, later enrolling at Churachandpur College (Manipur University), and is a graduate. Her parents are Mangte Tonpa Kom, who worked as a farmer and was formerly a wrestler, and Mangte Akham Kom. She has younger siblings named Chung, Nei, and Jang.

Mary Kom developed an interest in sports at a young age and was inspired by Indian boxer Dingko Singh. She began training in boxing during her mid-teens and kept her early interest in the sport from her father because of his concerns about the effect boxing could have on her face.

Career

Mary Kom made her domestic debut at the State Boxing Championship in 2000 and stepped onto the international stage at the Women's World Amateur Boxing Championship in 2001. Her first coach was K. Kosana Meitei in Imphal. Over the course of her career she became the only woman to win a medal at each of the first six world championships and is a five-time World Amateur Boxing Champion in the flyweight category.

A major turning point in her career came at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she became the only woman boxer to qualify for India and won a bronze medal. She has also been ranked among the top flyweight boxers in AIBA world rankings.

Beyond competition, Mary Kom has served in roles that promote the sport and represent India. In 2016 she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India. In 2017 the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports named her a national observer for boxing alongside Akhil Kumar. She has also been appointed brand ambassador for sporting events and appeared in promotional programming.

Mary Kom's life and achievements have attracted broad public attention. A biopic titled Mary Kom, directed by Omung Kumar, was released in 2014. She has taken part in advertising campaigns and is active in animal welfare causes, including support for PETA India.

Public profile

Mary Kom has received numerous national honours in recognition of her sporting achievements. Her awards include the Arjuna Award (2003), the Padma Shri (2006), the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (later known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna) in 2009, the Padma Bhushan (2013), and the Padma Vibhushan (2020). In 2023 she was presented with the Global Indian Icon of the Year award at the U.K.-India Awards in Windsor.

She is known by the nicknames Mary Kom and Magnificent Mary. Physically, she is listed at approximately 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm) and about 50 kg (110 lbs), with black eyes and brown hair. Her listed hobbies include martial arts, travelling, watching television, and singing. She has demonstrated an interest in singing publicly and performed a rendition of a Lata Mangeshkar song that drew attention on social media.

Personal life

Mary Kom married Karung Onkholer Kom, a footballer, in 2005. The couple had twin boys born in 2007 and a third son born in 2013. As of the information provided, she is listed as divorced. Her religion is noted as Christianity.

Latest updates

In April 2024 Mary Kom resigned from her position as India’s chef-de-mission for the Paris Olympics, citing personal reasons in a letter to IOA President P.T. Usha. She has remained involved with the sport in other capacities and continues to receive recognition for her contributions to boxing and for her public advocacy on animal welfare.

Mary Kom remains one of India’s best-known athletes, celebrated for her resilience in balancing family life with an elite sporting career and for the trail she blazed for women in boxing.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Mary Kom (Boxer), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Chef-de-mission, India (Resigned)

Stepped down from the role of India’s chef-de-mission for the Paris Olympics in April 2024, citing personal reasons.

2024
Global Indian Icon of the Year

Awarded the Global Indian Icon of the Year at the U.K.-India Awards in Windsor.

2023
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Career Highlights

  1. Five-time World Amateur Boxing Champion
  2. Bronze medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics
  3. Only woman to win a medal at each of the first six world championships
  4. Nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2016
  5. Designated national observer for boxing by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in 2017
  6. Biopic 'Mary Kom' released in 2014
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Mary Kom (Boxer) born?

Mary Kom (Boxer) was born on 1 March 1983.

What is Mary Kom (Boxer) known for?

Mary Kom (Boxer) is known for boxer.

What is Mary Kom (Boxer)’s marital status?

Mary Kom (Boxer)'s marital status is listed as Divorced.

Who is Mary Kom (Boxer) married to?

Mary Kom (Boxer) is publicly listed as married to Karung Onkholer Kom.