India's Olympic medalist woman boxer Mary Kom has become the 'Global Indian Icon of the Year' at the annual UK-India Awards in Windsor, south-eastern England. The 40-year-old boxing legend received the award from Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami at a ceremony held on Thursday night.

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While accepting the UK-India Awards, Mary Kom spoke about her 20 years of hard work and dedicated life to boxing. She said, "I have been fighting for 20 years, putting in so much effort, hard work in my life, in boxing, it means a lot... making sacrifice for my country, for my family. I really thank from the bottom of my heart for this recognition."

Meanwhile, Oscar-nominated 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' producer Shekhar Kapur got the 'Lifetime Achievement Award'. He achieved this award for his contribution to cinema in both the countries at the awards organized by the India Global Forum (IGF) as part of UK-India Week. Achievement Award'. In addition, the Nehru Centre, the cultural wing of the High Commission of India (in London), achieved the UK-India Awards for its significant contribution to UK-India relations.

"This is one of the most exciting times to be an Indian in the last many centuries, and India's growing economy has made many others, including many Westerners, think differently about India. But India's culture will actually make many others, including many Westerners, think differently period. And it's our privilege at the Nehru Centre to contribute to the growth and to the popularisation of Indian culture in the West." Author Amish Tripathi, Director of Nehru Centre, said.

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UK-India Awards are for the outstanding contributions of people in business, professional services, government, culture, and social impact and their notable achievements in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

Spanning across several categories, the UK-India Awards for Business Promotion Organisation of the Year was conferred upon the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) UK.

Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom expressed disappointment over the poor performance of Indian boxers in the Paris Olympics 2024. She said that being a medal winner, it is natural that she feels bad.

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India had sent a team of six boxers to the Paris 2024, which included two men and four women. It also included Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain and world champion Nikhat Zareen.

Mary Kom expressed her desire to re-enter professional boxing

Mary Kom expressed her desire to re-enter professional boxing, stating, "I am planning to make a comeback.I will try to make a comeback in pro-boxing." In the same event, she shared her happiness in participating in sports-promoting events but remained concerned about India's performance at the Olympics. 

'We will assess what needs to be done'

Mary Kom told IANS during the Army Sports Conclave, "Looking at the Olympics performance, its unfortunate that we didn’t win a medal in the 2024 Olympics. We will assess what needs to be done moving forward and what shouldn’t be done,"

India's boxing campaign was disappointing 

Lovlina (women's 75kg) missed out on a historic second medal at the Paris Olympics and lost to China's Li Qian in the quarterfinals. At the same time, in the men's 71 kg category, Nishant Dev had reached the quarter-finals, but he had to face defeat from Marco Verde of Mexico.

Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (women's 50kg), Commonwealth Games champion Amit Panghal (men's 51kg) and Preeti Pawar (women's 54kg) lost in the round of 16 in their respective categories. Jasmine Lamboria (women's 57 kg) was eliminated in the round of 32. Overall, India's Paris Olympics boxing campaign was disappointing.

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"As a world champion and medallist myself, its natural to feel disappointed. We'll focus on more practice and hard work for the upcoming tournaments," Mary Kom added.

Only three boxers achieved olympic medal

Notably, so far only three Indian boxers have won medals in the Olympics – Vijender Singh (bronze in Beijing 2008), Mary Kom (bronze in London 2012) and Lovlina Borgohain (bronze in Tokyo 2020).

Sports brand PUMA India on Thursday has inked its partnership with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as their Official Footwear Partner for the Indian contingent to the Paris Olympics 2024 and also launched a mega outdoor campaign to celebrate the champions of the game.

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The brand will give podium over 100 Indian athletes

As footwear partner, the brand will give podium and travel footwear, trolleys, backpacks, slippers, yoga mats, headbands, wristbands, socks and towels over 100 Indian athletes to maximise their training and comfort during the Paris Olympics 2024.

To add, 45 out of the 100+ Indian athletes across sporting disciplines comprise the PUMA contingent at the Paris Olympics, making the largest squad representing a brand in the country this year.

'We will provide athletes with best in-class footwear'

Karthik Balagopalan, Managing Director of PUMA India, shared his perspective on this collaboration and campaign launch, stating, “PUMA is dedicated to empowering athletes to surpass their limits and achieve their full potential. Through our partnership with the Indian Olympic Association, we will provide athletes with best in-class footwear and sports accessories, aiming to support their pursuit of excellence at the Paris Olympics."

Additionally, we aim to bring to the fore and recognize the milestones achieved by athletes of our country through this campaign. I hope our efforts to celebrate our champions will not only inspire others to give their best but also encourage many young and aspiring athletes to take up Olympic sports in India,” Balagopalan added.

This strategic partnership with the IOA, the governing body of Olympics in India, not only affirms PUMA’s commitment to cultivating a vibrant sports culture but also serves as a catalyst for nurturing the growth, progress, and achievements of both current and upcoming generations of athletes in the country.

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Official kit sponsor of Athletics Federation of India

PUMA is already the official kit sponsor of Athletics Federation of India. Apart from that, it has established associations with various sports teams, including renowned global and Indian football clubs such as Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Mumbai City FC, and Bengaluru FC, alongside IPL teams such as Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals. Additionally, the brand proudly showcases a roster of distinguished brand ambassadors including cricket icon Virat Kohli, sprinting champion Usain Bolt, football star Neymar Jr, boxing champion Mary Kom and cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur and Mohammed Shami.

Veteran boxer and 2012 Olympic Games bronze medalist MC Mary Kom on Friday has resigned from the post of chef-de-mission of the Indian contingent for the Paris Olympics 2024, citing personal reasons.

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Mary Kom, who was appointed as the Chef-de-Mission of India's Paris Olympics 2024 contingent last month, has written a letter to PT Usha, President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), requesting her to be relieved from the post. "I consider it an honor to serve my country in every way possible, and I was mentally prepared for it. However, I regret that I will not be able to uphold the prestigious responsibility and would like to resign, owing to personal reasons. It is embarrassing to retreat from a commitment, which I seldom do, but I am left with no choice. I am there to cheer on my country and the athletes competing in this Olympic Games, with great expectations," Mary Kom stated in her letter to the IOA President.

The IOA had announced the officials for the Paris Olympics 2024 on March 21, starting on July 26. Mary Kom was selected as the Chef de Mission, with Shiva Keshavan named as her deputy. The Chef de Mission is the most important administrative member of a country's contingent in any Olympics. The person remains in touch with the organizing committee and is responsible for arranging all the facilities related to the athletes. Even in case of any dispute, the post represents the players.

The IOA chief acknowledged receiving a letter from MC Mary Kom and said a replacement would be named after proper consultation. PT Usha said, "We are sad that Olympic medal winning boxer and Chairperson of the IOA Athletes Commission Mary Kom has stepped down citing personal reasons. We respect her decision and her privacy. I shall make the appropriate consultations and soon make an announcement about the replacement for Mary Kom." Usha said she had a conversation with Mary Kom after receiving her letter. I completely understand her request and respect her decision. I have also conveyed to her that she will always have my own support and that of IOA. I also request everyone to respect the legendary boxer's privacy,"

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The 41-year-old boxer has represented the country in two editions of the Olympic Games, the 2012 London Olympics and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She won a bronze medal at the 2012 Games in London but missed out on a medal at the Tokyo Games. Mary, 41, is no longer eligible in Olympic-style boxing because rules prevent anyone aged 40 and older from competing.

The Paris Olympics 2024 is scheduled to be held in France from July 26 to August 11.

The Olympics is undoubtedly the most prestigious sporting event on the planet. The essence of the Olympics is understood in the excitement that builds around every four years. Indian athletes have won a total of 41 medals, all at the Summer Games. For some time, the Indian Men's Field Hockey Team was dominant in Olympic competition, winning 13 medals in 25 Olympics. The run included eight gold medals of which six were won consecutively from 1928 to 1956. Let's take a closer look at 'India at Olympics', analyzing the medals won by sport.

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India at Olympics: India's Olympic Medals by Sports

1. Hockey

If we talk about India's most successful sport in the Olympic games, Hockey's name will come at the top. The Indian hockey team dominated the sport from the beginning. They won a total of 13 medals out of which 8 are gold medals. The last gold came at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Indian Hockey team also won a silver medal in 1960 and four bronze medals in 1968, 1972, 2021, and 2024. India also won back-to-back medals in the Olympic Games for the first time since 1972 after the 2-1 win over Spain in the bronze medal match of the Paris Olympics 2024.

India participated in hockey for the first time in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and won five consecutive Olympic gold medals stretching till the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. India's tally of eight gold medals is also the highest among hockey-participating nations when it comes to the Olympics. Since the 1980 games, we have yet to witness the country win a gold medal in the sport.

2. Shooting

Shooting has also been a very fruitful contributor to India's medal tally in the Olympics. In total, India has won 7 medals across various shooting disciplines in the Olympics. It started with former sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore winning a silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics in the Double Trap event. The crowning in our Olympics history this century came through shooting when Abhinav Bindra clinched a historic gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle event in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The win also made him the first Indian Olympian to win a gold medal this century. 

In the Paris Olympics 2024, shooter Manu Bhaker made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two medals at a single edition of the Summer Games. She secured her first bronze medal in the 10m Air Pistol event and the second in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event alongside her compatriot Sarabjot Singh. While Swapnil Kusale became the first Indian shooter to win a bronze medal in the 50-metre rifle 3 positions event. 

3. Athletics

Athletics has contributed to a total of 4 medals to the Indian medal tally at the Olympics. The first two medals that India ever won at the Olympics were in athletics. These two medals came back at the 1900 Paris Olympics when Norman Pritchard participated on behalf of British India (still under British colonial rule). Pritchard won two silver medals in the 200m and the 200m hurdles events thus making him the first Asian-born athlete to ever win an Olympic medal. After that, Neeraj Chopra created history by winning a gold medal in the javelin throw at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

More recently in the Paris Olympics 2024, Neeraj earned the silver medal in the men’s javelin throw, becoming the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win two Olympic medals. The 26-year-old achieved silver with a second-round throw of 89.45m.

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4. Wrestling

Wrestling has contributed to a total of 8 medals to India's total tally of 41. The first medal India won in wrestling was back in the 1952 Olympic games in Helsinki when Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav clinched the bronze medal in the men's freestyle Bantamweight event. Two of the seven medals were won by Sushil Kumar who won the bronze in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the silver in the 66 kg men's freestyle discipline four years later in London. He was the first Indian Olympian post-independence to win two Olympic medals and also the only wrestler from India to win two Olympic medals.

Other Olympians who won medals in the Olympics for wrestling include Yogeshwar Dutt who won bronze in the 2012 London Olympics, Sakshi Malik who also won bronze in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Ravi Kumar Dahiya (Silver) in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Bajrang Punia (Bronze) which also came in Tokyo, and more recently Aman Sehrawat won the bronze medal in the Men’s Freestyle 57kg category at the Paris Olympics 2024. 

5. Badminton

India has been a bright spark in the world of badminton as the nation has produced plenty of gifted players. The likes of Saina Nehwal to Kidambi Srikanth have won multiple tournaments and been right up there with the best. The Olympics added more gloss to the quality that the nation possesses as Badminton has contributed 3 medals to the total tally of 41 won by Indians since the turn of the previous century. All three medals were won by women, the first being a bronze medal won by Saina Nehwal in the 2012 London Olympics. The second and third ones were achieved by PV Sindhu in the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

6. Weightlifting

Weightlifting has seen limited success for India at the Olympics, as the sport brought only two medals for the country. but Karnam Malleswari's bronze medal win at the 2000 Sydney Olympics stands as a significant achievement. Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. Other Olympians who won medal in the Olympics for weightlifting include Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, who clinched silver in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

7. Boxing

Boxing has contributed to a total of 3 medals to India's total tally of 35. The first medal India won in boxing was back in the 2008 Beijing Olympics when Vijender Singh clinched the bronze medal in the men's middleweight category. After that, Mary Kom won a bronze medal in the women's flyweight category at the 2012 London Olympics. The most recent medal in boxing came when Lovlina Borgohain clinched the bronze in the women's welterweight category at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

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8. Tennis

Leander Paes won India's first and only tennis Olympic medal. He won the bronze medal at Atlanta 1996 which was also India’s first medal at the Summer Games in 44 years. Leander Paes was ranked only 126 in the world when he entered the 1996 Atlanta Olympics as a wild card. He is still the only Indian tennis player to win a medal at the Olympics. 

Six-time world champion boxer Mary Kom wants to end her career with a medal at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou in September this year. She doesn't have much time to regain full fitness. In such a situation, she will be 'forced' to retire next year.

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Mary Kom announced on Monday at a Women's Boxing World Championship sponsorship press conference that she was planning to make a comeback towards the latter half of 2023. She is an eye on the Asian Games or other international boxing events before retiring next year.

The veteran boxer had torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she twisted her left knee. She got injured during the Commonwealth Games selection trials last year. After that, she had to undergo surgery in August. Speaking at the unveiling of the Indian team's jersey ahead of the Women's World Championship, Mary Kom said, "What happened during the Commonwealth Games trials was very unfortunate. I suffered a major injury and I had to undergo a surgery. I'm trying to come back soon because I have only this year. Next year I'll be forced to retire. So this year I want to compete in any competition before retirement."

"I don't want to retire at all. I want to compete for the next five years, but above 40, we can't compete, that is the rule. My main (target) is the Asian Games, hopefully I will recover by then. I will have time for preparation too. It is my dream to compete once this year before retirement." Mary Kom added.

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The Asian Games will start from September 23 to October 8 this year. London Olympics bronze medalist Mary Kom will have to go through a new selection process in the prestigious event. This will require boxers to undergo an assessment test at the national camp. However, the IBA rules are unclear on whether an athlete's retirement age is 40 or after the end of the 40th year. Mary Kom is eligible to take part in international tournaments and the Asian Games if an elite boxer can participate in competitions in their 40th year.

"I'll recover by the time the Asian Games come and will have had enough preparation. At least this year before retirement I want to compete in the Asian Games." said Mary Kom to reporters on Monday.