Who is Mary Kom? 5 things you didn't know about India's boxing legend

Mary Kom is one of the world's most decorated boxers and has made India proud internationally with her terrific performances over the years. The 38-year-old is headed to her second Olympics, where the 2012 bronze medalist will be hoping to replicate her performance from London and help India clinch another medal in boxing.

On that note, here are five things you probably didn't know about Mary Kom.

MC Mary Kom on #JeetengeOlympicsAce Indian pugilist @MangteC became the first Indian woman boxer to win an Olympic medal, claiming bronze in 2012. She is ready for her 2nd Olympics & determined to win the Gold. We wish her the best for #Tokyo2020.@sonysportsindia @KirenRijiju pic.twitter.com/70wBME4sae

— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) May 24, 2021

#1 Mary Kom initially had to hide from her father about boxing

Mary Kom grew up in a small village in Manipur, but right from her childhood she was inclined to sports. Her father put her in athletics, but life had some other plans for Mary. In 1998 when Dingko Singh won the Asian Games gold, many youngsters wanted to learn boxing and Mary was one of them.

She started her boxing career under Kosana Meitei, but had to hide from her father. The former wrestler did not like the idea of Mary pursuing boxing because he believed that could injure her face. Her father came to know about Kom's boxing when her photo appeared in the newspaper, after she had won the state championship.

#2 How many children does Mary Kom have?

Happy Birthday my son K.Price C Kom. You are my Pride..my Love..my Everything. I am missing you so much. I am praying to God for you from where I am training. 8th yrs of #godsblessings pic.twitter.com/0mRr0m0nVj

— M C Mary Kom OLY (@MangteC) May 14, 2021

Mary Kom is an inspiration to countless Indian mothers as she has continued boxing even after having three children. She had her twins in 2007 and after that, she trained hard to win her fourth World Championship title within a year. Mary Kom had another son in 2013, but that did not stop her as she once again worked on herself and made a stunning return to the ring. Kom and her husband adopted a girl child named Merilyn in 2018.

#3 Mary Kom is a Rajya Sabha MP

Mary Kom was nominated for the Rajya Sabha in 2016 along with former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, Malayalam film actor Suresh Gopi, Narendra Jadhav and Swapan Dasgupta. She is an active member of the Rajya Sabha and makes it a point to attend parliamentary meetings, whenever possible. Mary is also a member of the standing committee on food, consumer affairs and public distribution.

#4 Awards and recognition for Mary Kom

Mary Kom has won most of the top honorary awards in India. She first won the Arjuna award for Boxing in 2003. Kom then went on to win the Padma Shri in 2006 and followed it up with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2009. The boxing ace added Padma Bhushan in 2013 and India's second-highest civilian honor, Padma Vibhushan, in 2020.

#5 How many World Championships has Mary Kom won?

Mary Kom @MangteC reached the final at the ASBC Asian Boxing Championship. How many finals of this tournament does she have in her career?#DubaiBoxing2021 #AIBA #ASBC #boxing @BoxingAsian @BFI_official pic.twitter.com/I9e9CLVAtU

— AIBA (@AIBA_Boxing) May 27, 2021

Mary Kom is the world's first woman to have won six World Championships gold medals. She is tied with Cuban legend Felix Savon, a heavyweight boxer from the '80s. Her first World Championships medal - a silver - came in 2001. Thereafter she added seven more medals to her kitty, with her most recent one being a bronze in 2019.