Mary Kom wins Sportstar Aces Olympic Sports' Sportswoman of the Decade

The most decorated boxer in World Championships history with eight medals, the crowning glory of Mary’s career came at the 2012 London Games, where she won bronze.

Mary Kom with the Sportstar Aces Sportswoman of the Decade (Individual Olympic Sports) Award.

Six-time world champion M. C. Mary Kom was named the Sportswoman of the Decade (Individual Olympic Sports) at the 2021 Sportstar ACES Awards for her outstanding achievements in women’s boxing, which include an Olympic medal.

“I am so glad to have won this award and I very happy to receive it. I would like to thank the jury members and all those who supported me in winning this award. I want to achieve more success in the tournaments in the future. This award is a big motivation for me and I hope I win the gold medal for India in the upcoming Olympics,” said Mary Kom.

“I have been fighting for so long, for almost 20 years. Being a woman, a girl, a mother – it’s not an easy task to fight for so long, and I challenge each and everyone in the sports fraternity to contribute to the country as much as you can and this is my wish for all of you,” she added.

Mary Kom had won bronze at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, but she improved on that with a gold medal at the 2014 Games in Incheon, South Korea. The Manipuri – who was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, in 2020 – also became the first boxer to win five gold medals at the Asian Championships when she won her fifth at the 2017 meet.

The most decorated boxer in World Championships history with eight medals (six gold, one silver, one bronze), the crowning glory of ‘Magnificent’ Mary’s career came at the 2012 London Games, where she won bronze in the 51kg class. However, an elusive Olympic gold is keeping the iconic boxer motivated.

The 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games gold medallist expressed her gratitude towards The Hindu Group and Sportstar for honouring her achievements, before urging sportspersons to “fight like a woman.”

The 2021 edition of the Sportstar ACES Awards honoured the Giants of the Decade in Indian sport, with the winners being assessing on their performance and consistency from 2011 to 2020. Eleven awards were presented under the popular choice category, which was open to public voting, along with 14 jury awards as well as special recognition awards under two new categories – Sports for Good and Giants off the Field – that recognise the work of organisations and individuals who have used sports for the betterment of society.