Took up boxing after watching Muhammad Ali on TV: Mary Kom

Six-time women's world boxing champion and Olympic medallist M C Mary Kom Saturday said she turned to this combat sport after getting inspired by watching legendary boxer Muhammad Ali's fight on television.

The pugilist from Manipur said she also drew inspiration from action movies of Jackie Chan as well as fight sequences of Bollywood films starring Akshay Kumar and others initially.

She was speaking during an interaction with the delegates at the ongoing 'Goa Fest 2019', an annual event organised by advertising bodies in the country.

"My inspiration in the boxing field came when I saw Muhammad Ali's fight on television...I said to myself, if a man can fight, why can't a woman," she said.

"I also used to watch Bollywood movies like those of Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol and others," she added.

She said when she took up boxing, people were talking about it "very negatively".

"Before marriage, is it easier for everyone. But after marriage, the responsibilities increase," she said.

During her address before the interaction, she said, "Now I can say, we have everything. Only we don't have champions. They are not creating new champions, that is what we are lacking."