Mary Kom recognised as Olympian, gets post-nominal title 'OLY'

Indian boxing veteran Mary Kom can now write her name as 'Mary Kom OLY.' The post-nominal letters signify Mary Kom's status as an Olympian. Kom posted to her Twitter, thanking the World Olympians Association (WOA) for recognising her efforts at the elite level.

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An embodiment of Olympic values

In 2017, the International Olympic Committee announced the initiative, which recognises the roles of Olympic athletes in society as they represent and propagate Olympic values in their respective fields and countries. Kom shared her certificate on her social media, thanking the WOA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for her recognition.

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This recognition means that Mary Kom can now use the post-fix 'OLY' ahead of her name to signify her status as an Olympian. 

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A trendsetter for Indian women

Mary Kom is a six-time world boxing champion, being the only woman in the sport to achieve this feat at the highest level. With her bronze medal win in last month's Women's World Boxing Championships in Russia, Kom is now the only male or female wrestler to have won eight world championship medals. She is also a five-time Asian Amateur Boxing Champion, which is a world record. Her achievements have landed her the title of 'Meethoi Leima', which was conferred upon her by her home state of Manipur. In the 2012 London Olympics, Kom won a bronze medal. She did not qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics and is currently pursuing her dream of participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Her boxing record stands at 14 wins and two losses. A Hindi biopic film that was based on her life, was released in 2016 and starred Priyanka Chopra-Jonas playing the boxer on-screen. She also has an autobiography which went on sale in 2013 under the name - "Unbreakable." Kom has three sons. 

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