The 29-year-old Mary Kom, a five-time world champion, clinched a historic bronze in women's boxing which was introduced in the Olympics for the first time. Mary Kom had to go through a physically stressful transition to be eligible for Olympics by jumping from 48kg to 51kg.

Mary Kom, is an Indian boxer  for whom Nicola was too strong and too savvy. It is not much surprising that Mary even after being the five-time World Boxing Champion had to succumb. But she is the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships. She won a silver medal at the 2008 Asian Women's Boxing Championship in India and a fourth successive gold medal at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship in China, followed by a gold medal at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam.

She is the only Indian woman boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, competing in the flyweight (51kg) category Mary put up a sterling show against boxers who were much taller and heavier than herand won the bronze medal. Adam was very clever - a counter-puncher. She carried power, yet she was not very tactical. Mary is happy even after the defeat as she won the first Olympic medal for Manipur as well as for India. Today, her native village Kangtei of Manipur is in the limelight of attention of all sports loving persons who hailed the brave mom of Manipur. Mary will remain an inspiration for all.

The  temporary gloom in Imphal is palpable, but people in India are elated. It was a glorious fight offered by any female boxer so far from India. SAI coach  Laishram Ibomcha did not disclose his disappointment. The first Olympic round was held on 5 August 2012, with Kom defeating Karolina Michalczuk  of Poland 19-14 in the third women's boxing match ever to be fought at the Olympics. In the quarter-final, the following day, she defeated Maroua Rahali of Tunisia  with a score of 15-6. She faced Nicola Adams of UK in the semi-final on August 8, 2012 and lost the bout 6 points to 11. However, she stood third in the competition and garnered her first Olympic Bronze medal. Mary deserves a lot of credit  for raising the interest level  in Boxing. Mary wont be forgotten. She scripted golden pages of historic achievement for female boxing for the Indians in the Olympics. It is a myth that men are only capable of boxing. Mary has shattered the age old myth by storming  the  male bastion. The Olympic bronze medalist in boxing urged Indian women to take up boxing  in a big way.