MARY KOM

Bronze: Boxing, women’s flyweight; London 2012.

Mary Kom... bronze in Boxing, women’s flyweight; London 2012.

Women’s boxing made its Olympic debut in 2012. Just in time for Mary Kom, a five-time World champion, to have a go at the ultimate glory. But it was not in the 45 kg, 46 kg or 48 kg categories, in which all her World titles had come, but in the 51 kg.

The Magnificent Mary from Manipur, however, was not going to allow that to spoil her dream. So, she did not just train more, but eat more too. After all, she had a promise to keep, a promise she had made to her twin boys. ‘Momma would bring something nice from London,’ she had told them.

A determined Nicola Adams of Great Britain, cheered on by her adoring home fans, had stopped Mary in the semifinals. The Indian had done enough to get the bronze, however, with victories over Karolina Michalczuk of Poland and Tunisia’s Maroua Rahali.