Key Highlights:

  • No "next Mary Kom," she says: The six-time world boxing champion, now a "Bigg Boss 20" contestant, says nobody can replicate her legacy.
  • Consistency is the differentiator: Mary Kom said other boxers often win once or twice and lose their hunger, while she stayed consistent throughout her career.
  • Praises Northeast talents: She spoke highly of Manipur's Jadumani Singh Mandengbam and Assam's Lovlina Borgohain, hoping they perform well at the Asian Games and Olympics.
  • Reason for joining Bigg Boss: Mary Kom said she wanted to explore the platform and see how she navigates conversations and relationships with people inside the house.

Mumbai: She's a six-time world champion in boxing and has won over 50 competitive international matches across her legendary amateur career. Mary Kom, who has now stepped into "Bigg Boss" with a legacy few can match, says there can be no "next Mary Kom," as her journey is uniquely her own.

Mary Kom: Career At A Glance

  • World Championships: 6-time gold medallist — only boxer, male or female, to achieve this feat; 8 total World Championship medals (6 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze), the most by any boxer in the tournament's history
  • Olympics: Bronze medal, London 2012 (flyweight, 51kg)
  • Asian Games: Gold, Incheon 2014
  • Commonwealth Games: Gold, Gold Coast 2018 — first Indian woman boxer to win CWG gold
  • Asian Championships: 6-time Asian champion (winning gold medals in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012, and 2017)
  • Honours: Padma Vibhushan (2020), Arjuna Award (2003); nominated to Rajya Sabha (2016)
  • On screen: Life adapted into the 2014 biopic "Mary Kom," starring Priyanka Chopra

Asked who could be the next Mary Kom in boxing, the boxer — fondly given the title of "Magnificent Mary" — told IANS: "According to me, nobody."

"The Hunger Is Finished": Why She Says So

Sharing the reason, the London Olympic Bronze medallist replied: "Why? Because they are not disciplined… There are so many boxers; they achieve (win) it one or two times. But how many times? One is enough? Two is enough? But consistently, they are not achieving. That is only Mary Kom. Only we can have Mary Kom in India (sic)."

"So, there are so many upcoming boxers. Yes, they are performing very well. They achieve (win) one time, then they are satisfied. They are satisfied; they are done as they already got fame, popularity, money, everything at the same time."

"Then they are satisfied. The hunger is finished. Then I can only say who will be the next Mary Kom… So, I say that one is enough," said the sportswoman, who became the most successful boxer at world championships in 2019.

Backing Manipur's Jadumani, Assam's Lovlina

Mary spoke about the future of Northeastern boxing talents such as Jadumani Singh Mandengbam and Lovlina Borgohain.

"They are doing very well. At the same time… I'm also from the Northeast side. Jadumani is from my own state, Manipur. Lovlina is also from Assam. They are doing very well there."

She added: "At the same time, I wish and pray that in the upcoming games like the Asian Games and the Olympic Games, if they perform well, I will be very grateful… We are giving an excellent performance."

A Legacy Already Immortalised On Screen

Mary, whose life was adapted into the 2014 biographical film titled "Mary Kom" starring Priyanka Chopra in the title role, hopes and prays that the current crop of Northeastern boxers continue their splendid performance for years to come.

"Let's wish and pray that this time again, at the Asian Games, if they perform, it will be amazing. So this is something, Northeast talent we have actually (sic)."

Why Bigg Boss, After A Career In Sport

Talking about her reason for joining "Bigg Boss 20" despite having a flourishing career in sports, Mary said: "This is my, you know, personal (feeling) that this platform is big, so I just want to go and see, to explore and… How I deal with people, how I converse with them."

(With inputs from IANS)