The Kom-back kid

Why Mary is a beacon of true grit

For Mary Kom, a record-breaking sixth gold medal in the recently concluded Women's World Championships marks but another milestone in her extraordinary career. Among her many achievements are a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics and a gold medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian games — the first Indian woman boxer to do so. Indeed, Kom’s latest victory represents a triumph on many levels: Over the constrictions of identity, against gender prejudice, and, above all, over poverty. Thanks to a successful biopic, the details of Ms Kom’s life are well known to the Indian movie-going public. The melodramatic portrayal of