Mary Kom wins gold at President’s Cup in Indonesia
On July 28, six-time world champion MC Mary Kom won the gold medal at the 23rd President’s Cup in Indonesia. The Indian women's boxing team also won the Best Team award at the event.
MC Mary Kom
On Sunday, July 28, MC Mary Kom won the gold in the 51 kg category at the 23rd President’s Cup in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. She defeated April Franks of Australia 5-0.
The 36-year-old who is an Olympic bronze-medalist and a six-time world champion took to Twitter, celebrating her victory and gratitude for her coaches. She was also congratulated by Kiren Rijiju, the Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports.
Mary Kom, who hails from Manipur, became the first Indian woman boxer to qualify and win a bronze medal in the 51 kg category at the 2012 Olympics. She currently holds the No. 1 rank in the Flyweight category of the AIBA World Women's Ranking.
She started her boxing career in the year 2000, after her victory in the Manipur State Women's Boxing Championship. She made her international debut at the first AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship in the United States, winning the silver medal in the 48 kg category.
In 2007, Mary Kom became a mother to twin sons, Rechungvar and Khupneivar Kom. In 2013, she gave birth to another son, Prince Chunhthanglen Kom. In 2011, the athlete made the difficult decision of going to Beijing to compete at the Asian Cup while one of her twin sons was undergoing heart surgery.
Although she was going through a challenging time, she won the gold in the 48 kg category.
She is also the recipient of several prestigious awards like the Arjuna Award in 2003, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2009, and the Padma Bhushan in 2013.
Mary Kom is now looking to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the World Championships, which will be held this year in Yekaterinburg, Russia, between September 7 and 21.
The Indian women’s boxing team at the 23rd President's Cup in Indonesia, consisting of Mary Kom, Simranjit Kaur, Jamuna Boro, and Monika, also won the ‘Best Team’ award, after clinching all four gold medals they competed for.
(Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta)
