When it comes to Indian boxing, Mary Kom has been a household name for many years. But do you know when this love affair began?
In a conversation with The Quint, the five-time World Champion takes us back to the story of the first-ever World Championship gold medal in the 45 kg category in 2002.
“It was my first gold medal in the World Championship. Women’s boxing in the international level had just started at that time. Not many countries participated in the competition. Some countries were not that strong in the competition.”Mary Kom
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While facing North Korea's Jang Song-Ae in the gold medal match, the chance of losing never crossed Mary's mind.
“I never thought about losing. Every round I thought that I was winning. I always thought to be strong every round. That time we had four rounds of two minutes each and now it has been changed to three round three minutes each. So every round, I just wanted to be strong.”Mary Kom
Mary Kom went on to become the first Indian woman to win a gold at the World Boxing Championship. She couldn't hold back her tears when she heard the national anthem.
“I was super excited, you know, being a first-time World Champion. I started crying while the national anthem during the medal ceremony. I was very happy about making my country proud. So, that was the moment when my tears came out.”Mary Kom
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