Mary Kom is an Indian Amatuer boxer, who is the only female to become World Amatuer boxing Champion for a record six times, the only female boxer to have won a medal in each one of the first seven World Championships, and the only boxer (male or female) to win eight World Championship medals. Nicknamed Magnificent Mary, she is the only Indian female boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Olympics, competing in the flyweight category and winning a bronze medal. She had also been ranked as the world's No. 1 female light-flyweight by AIBA. She became the first Indian female boxer to win a gold medal in the Asian Games in 2014 and is the first Indian female boxer to win gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Mary Kom grew up in humble surroundings, helping her parents with farm related chores, going to school and learning athletics initially and later boxing. Furthermore, Kom kept her interest in boxing a secret from her father, himself an ex-wrestler, as he was concerned that boxing would hurt Kom's face and spoil her chances of marriage. However, he learnt of it when Kom's photo appeared in a newspaper after she won the state boxing championship in 2000. After three years, her father began to support Kom's pursuits in boxing as he grew convinced of her love of boxing.
