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Mary Kom a.k.a Magnificent Mary is the most mysterious woman on earth. So enigmatic, that scientists might fathom out life on Mars, or the number of Kim Kardashian’s beaus, but will never be able to ascertain as to what makes Mary tick.
A regular girl, who was born in the remote and obscure region of Kangathei, has today made her entire nation proud in London by becoming the only Indian woman boxer to win a bronze Olympic medal. It is bewildering to know how she had to conceal this interest of hers initially from her family since boxing was considered to be a male oriented sport and little Mary did not look like she could even knock out a bug. But Mary was always destined for greater glory and she won Manipur state’s boxing championship in 2000. When her father saw his fragile daughter sporting a victorious smile through the pages of a local newspaper, that’s when he discovered that his little girl had transformed into an Amazon.
There was no stopping Mary then. She went ahead to deliver stunning coup de grace’s in every competition and emerged as a five time World Boxing champion. Some might notice that I am referring to her continually as Mary, a first name basis. This familiarity originates from the fact that there is a Mary in every household now days. A woman of substance – who balances her household chores with herculean projects, her kids with keyboard and her marriage with multitudinous meetings.
An Olympic medallist who is a wife and a mother of two kids! Quite rare and unheard of in this dog eat dog world, where the competition is so intense that people cannot excel in a single arena, let alone walk on such a tight rope like Mary. What makes this gargantuan task so viable for the petite lady? The recipe is easier to make than you would guess. It takes oodles of focus, grit, perseverance and a little garnishing of support. Mary’s support system is her husband, K Onler Kom.
Onler himself wanted to be a footballer, but after his relationship with Mary materialised into marriage, he has not budged by Mary’s side for even a fleeting moment. To put your own dreams and aspirations on the back burner for your wife’s sake is so rare like gold dust that this idea may leave several of the typical male egoists’ jaws sweeping the ground. Onler decided not only to be Mary’s manager but also chose to stay back at home and take care of their twins while his wife went out in the world to earn all kinds of laurels possible. His unwavering belief in Mary made her overcome all the odds and deliver emphatic knockouts on all her adversaries.
Mary had won many accolades in the 46 and 48 kg categories. But these were not included in any of the high profile games which Mary used to yearn for, like Commonwealth or Olympics, where women’s boxing was not incorporated at all. And when finally Mary saw a little glitter of hope to finally be called an Olympian, after switching to 51 kg category, she had to face the most testing time of her life. Her son had to go through an open heart surgery.
Imagine a mother who can sense her child, her own blood and bone, to be in the clutches of peril. She wants to reach out, cradle him in her arms, hold him close and assure him and also herself that everything is going to be just fine. A doting mother like Mary might not be able to swallow even a morsel down her throat in such a condition. But her steely backbone did not let her breakdown. She resolved more than ever, to return home with an Olympic medal and see her son get a new lease of life. How many men have the strength of will to move on along with the compassion of a concerned parent? Mary chose not to get wrapped in herself and once again handed over the reins to her husband. She vowed, not only to her son, but to the entire nation, that she would most definitely return with a medal. And so she did!
Her triumph was not only a retort to the unending accusations of her antagonists, but also a majestic roar in support of empowered women who have the world at their feet. Magnificent Mary’s story still has many parables to come. But she has already galvanized the breakdown of patriarchal shackles of this antiquated society which seriously needs a punch or two to come out of its reverie. Hail Mary!!
