Class 11 English 2024 Edition www.tntextbooks.in · Section 43

title in the Third World Women’s Boxing Championships at Podolsk in Russia, in . Sarita, who had won the bronze, and I were given a hero’s welcome at the Imphal airport. We were taken to the Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre, where a grand reception was organised. I’d had a good run from to . I won several golds: all the Senior Women’s Boxing Championships; the 2nd Women’s Boxing Championships, ; the 2nd Asian Women’s Boxing Championships at Hisar in ; and the Witch Cup Boxing Championships at Paes, Hungary. In spite of this, when I got married, everybody was doubtful that my medal hauls would continue. But after the wedding, I participated in and won a gold in the Third and Fourth World Women’s Boxing Championships in October and November . There were a number of other international level championships, in Taiwan, Vietnam, Denmark and so on. But it was retaining my world title in by defeating Steluta Duta of Romania - at the Fourth World Championships in New Delhi that I consider one of my greatest achievements. It is probably the most memorable one for me because I was able to win at home. The other Indian boxers also performed exceptionally well. India won four golds, one silver and three bronzes, and our team won the overall title. With this hat-trick of World Championship wins, the media christened me ‘Queen of Boxing’ and ‘Magnificent Mary’. Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom is a boxer and the winner of five World Boxing Championships and an Olympic Bronze Medal in . As a school girl she used to play a variety of sports—hockey, football, and athletics. Inspired by Manipuri boxer Dingko Singh who won a gold at the Asian Games in , Mary Kom took up boxing. She won the first medal of silver in Pennsylvania, USA, in . She is the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six World Championships. She was honoured with the Padma Shri in and the Padma Bhushan in for her wonderful achievements in the field of sports. She wrote her autobiography ‘Unbreakable’ in . Muhammad Ali was an American professional pugilist (boxer) and an activist. He was widely regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the twentieth century. "I hated every minute of training but I said, Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." -Muhammad Ali About the Author -A-Prose-THE QUEEN OF - - :