:00:11. > :00:21.them. Now it is time for World a grim -- world LNP dreams. -- world
:00:21. > :00:54.
:00:54. > :01:00.She has beaten on all odds to become the world's boxing champion.
:01:00. > :01:10.Not once, but five times. She has struggled to find a balance between
:01:10. > :01:11.
:01:11. > :01:21.being a sports star and a caring mother. She has smashed
:01:21. > :01:21.
:01:22. > :01:27.Conservative beliefs that it no Lady would step inside a ring. As
:01:27. > :01:37.women's boxing is included for the first time in the 2012 Olympics she
:01:37. > :01:46.
:01:46. > :01:53.is determined to win gold. As an international sports star, Mary Kom
:01:53. > :01:58.is used to travelling. Today she is in London shopping. It is her first
:01:58. > :02:06.time in the UK and she is here for an Olympic test event. This is just
:02:06. > :02:16.a dummy run, but next time it will be for real. She may look like any
:02:16. > :02:25.
:02:25. > :02:32.other tourist, but the story of how she got here is quite unique. Mary
:02:32. > :02:41.Kom's homeland Manipur is come far from wealthy. -- is far from
:02:41. > :02:45.wealthy. Violent insurgency has halted much development. Manipur
:02:45. > :02:55.has missed out on the economic burn that much of India has recently
:02:55. > :03:02.
:03:02. > :03:08.enjoyed. -- economic Byrne. -- boom mac. Until recently, tourists were
:03:08. > :03:12.banned from the state because it was not stable enough. There are
:03:12. > :03:22.around 30 different insurgency groups operating in and around
:03:22. > :03:30.
:03:30. > :03:40.Manipur. In the countryside where Mary grew up people eke are taking
:03:40. > :03:41.
:03:41. > :03:51.from the fields and rivers. -- eke out a living. The work is back-
:03:51. > :03:51.
:03:51. > :03:56.breaking and relentless. Sweat and pain is part of their daily life.
:03:56. > :04:05.This old man told us that nothing has changed in the 80 years he has
:04:05. > :04:10.lived here. There is another fundamental problem, since they
:04:10. > :04:20.leave just 100 kilometres from the Burmese border. They do not even
:04:20. > :04:23.
:04:23. > :04:31.look Indian. They look like Chinese or Thai people or Japanese. They
:04:31. > :04:36.never expected that by an Indian. Mary Kom's boxing success has
:04:36. > :04:42.brought her fame and relative fortune. Whatever she does these
:04:42. > :04:47.days, she is styled like a star. But it was not all the case. Her
:04:47. > :04:57.first coach remembers her as a rather ragged young girl. She came
:04:57. > :04:57.
:04:57. > :05:07.from a poor family and her clothing was torn. But she used to come here
:05:07. > :05:09.
:05:09. > :05:14.for a training and she was very puncher well. She worked hard and
:05:14. > :05:21.the most amazing thing I found about her was her willpower. Not
:05:21. > :05:30.everybody has that. So one day I thought she would become a world
:05:30. > :05:35.champion. Mary's determination means that she follows a punishing
:05:35. > :05:45.training regimes which I have agreed to join for a morning,
:05:45. > :05:49.
:05:49. > :05:59.somewhat foolishly. I get up at 530 in the morning so I can run first.
:05:59. > :06:01.
:06:01. > :06:07.In the morning I did two hours. In the evening I go sparring. It was
:06:07. > :06:17.not just wanting to win which pushed her on. In my family I am
:06:17. > :06:22.
:06:22. > :06:27.the oldest, so my youngest brothers and sisters are still in my family.
:06:27. > :06:37.I have to go and do something for my family to get a job or two and
:06:37. > :06:40.
:06:40. > :06:48.money. -- to make money. Mary's parents are still tenant farmers.
:06:48. > :06:58.Her father was a best lap and Mary shared her parents' love of sport.
:06:58. > :06:59.
:06:59. > :07:04.-- her father was a wrestler. Playing football and volleyball.
:07:04. > :07:09.When she was 15 she made the tough decision to leave her family to
:07:09. > :07:13.study at the sports academy in the capital. In those days women's
:07:13. > :07:23.boxing was not officially recognised so Mary Kom and rolled
:07:23. > :07:23.
:07:23. > :08:12.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 49 seconds
:08:12. > :08:17.as a general athlete. -- end -- was Mari won her first boxing
:08:17. > :08:26.tournament in the year 2000, just three months after she first
:08:26. > :08:32.stepped into the ring. She was awarded a cash prize, which she
:08:32. > :08:37.gave to her parents to try to make their lives easier. When Mary first
:08:37. > :08:44.announced her dream of becoming a sports star to her parents, they
:08:44. > :08:49.were terrified they would not be able to help her because they could
:08:50. > :08:56.not afford the equipment. Now five times world champion, it is Mary
:08:56. > :09:06.who support them. And she is passing the fighting spirit back
:09:06. > :09:17.
:09:17. > :09:24.along the line. Mary's father once warned her she would ruin her looks
:09:24. > :09:29.and not marry if she continued to box. She has proved him wrong. Her
:09:29. > :09:39.husband is not only her manager, he is her mentor and looks after their
:09:39. > :09:39.
:09:39. > :09:49.twins. I am very proud of her achievement. I give her time to
:09:49. > :09:59.
:09:59. > :10:04.practise. It is our duty to make the time free for her to practise.
:10:04. > :10:14.I am the luckiest man in the world that I have my wife so I will be
:10:14. > :10:16.
:10:16. > :10:20.doing my best to take care of her and pray for her. As the London
:10:20. > :10:30.Olympics moves closer Mary is spending more and more time
:10:30. > :10:35.training away from her family. miss my kids and they miss me.
:10:35. > :10:44.is difficult to juggle the boxing and the family. Year s, it is very
:10:44. > :10:53.difficult but I have to do it. -- yes, it is difficult. I have to do
:10:53. > :11:03.it for my country and I have to fulfil my dreams in the London
:11:03. > :11:05.
:11:05. > :11:15.Olympics. This is my duty. I want to fulfil my dreams. Then I can
:11:15. > :11:24.
:11:24. > :11:28.stay with my kids. Once inside the ring the focus is on the fight only.
:11:28. > :11:33.It is absolutely incredible watching the transformation of Mary
:11:33. > :11:41.Kom in the ring. She stops being the gentle and motherly figure we
:11:41. > :11:51.have become familiar with and becomes a tiger. Boxing is a
:11:51. > :12:01.discipline. When we are not angry, I think it is not a real boxer.
:12:01. > :12:02.
:12:02. > :12:08.When we get in the ring I think we can win the bout. Mary does a lot
:12:08. > :12:18.of training with male boxers. She admits it is difficult for her to
:12:18. > :12:19.
:12:19. > :12:29.punch a woman opponent. When my opening is for the face and it is
:12:29. > :12:32.
:12:32. > :12:38.cute, I do not want to hit very hard. But it is a game and everyone
:12:39. > :12:47.wants to be a champion. If you hurt somebody after a fight you win,
:12:47. > :12:53.maybe your opponent is badly hurt, do you feel bad? Yes, of course.
:12:53. > :13:03.When I have seen my opponent is getting an injury, it is difficult.
:13:03. > :13:03.
:13:03. > :13:13.So sometimes they are bleeding or so. So I feel very bad. Very upset.
:13:13. > :13:18.
:13:18. > :13:28.-- they are bleeding also. We go and say sorry. You apologise after
:13:28. > :13:32.
:13:32. > :13:41.the bout? Yes. It is a punishing game. Only two boxers getting the
:13:41. > :13:51.ring. Mary Kom loves her sport, but when she trains she finds herself
:13:51. > :13:53.
:13:53. > :14:01.listening to one track again and again. I feel lonely. You are the
:14:01. > :14:11.one and only that makes my dreams come true. Yes, I am lonely in the
:14:11. > :14:21.ring. Nobody can help me. Even my gods cannot help me. Yes, I am
:14:21. > :14:36.
:14:37. > :14:46.She has become a local heroine in estate. -- her estate. And in her
:14:47. > :14:50.
:14:50. > :14:58.old school, she is a living legend. Particularly for the girls. There
:14:58. > :15:08.is a second Mary Kom. I like to contribute in my state and my
:15:08. > :15:14.
:15:14. > :15:22.country. I want to contribute to the youngsters. To make a youngster
:15:23. > :15:26.and Olympic champion. -- and Olympic champion. Mary Kom may
:15:26. > :15:36.fight with the boys but she does not want to be mistaken for one.
:15:36. > :15:37.
:15:37. > :15:47.Her femininity is extremely important to her. As a woman I like
:15:47. > :15:50.
:15:50. > :16:00.ladies' dresses, skirts, frocks, and Indian dresses. I wanted to be
:16:00. > :16:00.
:16:00. > :16:10.identified as a woman. Do you have to barter in the market as a five-
:16:10. > :16:16.time world champion? I of course! This is the famous women's market.
:16:16. > :16:22.Only women are allowed to sell things here. Women have always
:16:22. > :16:30.played a dominant role in society here. In 1891, when the British
:16:30. > :16:33.seized this former kingdom, it was women who led the revolt. And today
:16:33. > :16:40.many of the protest against human rights abuses are led by women.
:16:40. > :16:50.Perhaps it is not surprising that this small state should produce a
:16:50. > :16:51.
:16:51. > :17:01.female champion like Mary Kom. And woe betide anyone who teases her
:17:01. > :17:02.
:17:02. > :17:09.for being a girl in a man's world. For the past five years we have
:17:09. > :17:19.heard negative things. The boys laugh when they hear that I box.
:17:19. > :17:20.
:17:20. > :17:30.They think it is funny. But I'll always challenge them when they
:17:30. > :17:34.
:17:35. > :17:41.laugh. I will show you one day. That is my challenge. After I
:17:41. > :17:51.became a five-time world champion they were all quiet and respectful.
:17:51. > :17:51.
:17:52. > :17:55.They do not just respecter, they want to be just like her. Mary
:17:56. > :18:04.Kom's success has inspired so many boys and girls to take up boxing
:18:04. > :18:10.that Mary has now opened her own academy for young fighters. The
:18:10. > :18:17.equipment may not be in top-notch condition but to the children who
:18:17. > :18:21.come for Mary, -- come to Mary Kom's Academy, this represents a
:18:21. > :18:24.chance in a lifetime. She started as Academy to help children from
:18:24. > :18:29.poor backgrounds like her own to have a chance of becoming a world-
:18:30. > :18:39.class athlete. But it is not for the faint-hearted. Look at these
:18:40. > :18:40.
:18:40. > :18:50.rules on the wall. 4:30am is time to get up, wash up then studying
:18:50. > :18:50.
:18:50. > :19:57.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 49 seconds
:19:57. > :20:07.for 2.5 hours, practice for 2.5 (MUSIC) I am giving basic boxing
:20:07. > :20:13.
:20:13. > :20:23.and physical training, how to punch straight and so on. We do not have
:20:23. > :20:26.
:20:26. > :20:36.a heavy bag for punching or a mirror for shadow-boxing. But I am
:20:36. > :20:37.
:20:37. > :20:41.still very happy that my students are very good. This state supplies
:20:42. > :20:50.India with a disproportionate number of tap -- top athletes. Mary
:20:50. > :21:00.Kom believes she knows why. Mostly the top athletes come from very
:21:00. > :21:07.poor backgrounds. I represent this. I come from a poor family. We have
:21:07. > :21:17.to do more hard work to get to the top, to get the money, to get a
:21:17. > :21:20.
:21:20. > :21:25.better life. This is my medal room. Fantastic!
:21:25. > :21:31.Which one are you most proud of? This is the five-time World
:21:31. > :21:37.Championship medal. Five times world champion, fantastic.
:21:37. > :21:47.Hopefully there will soon be an Olympic gold next a word. I will
:21:47. > :21:52.
:21:52. > :21:58.try my best Axa -- My Best! It is not just fade in a row and ability
:21:58. > :22:04.that keeps Mary Kom going, but her faith in God. Very important. I
:22:04. > :22:14.pray when I practise, before training, before a bout. When I get
:22:14. > :22:15.
:22:15. > :22:22.in the ring, I pray for a few seconds. I always remember the
:22:22. > :22:32.story of David and Goliath. David was a small boy. Chloe it was a big
:22:32. > :22:42.man. How can David kill Goliath? -- Gaule y yes was a big man. I always
:22:42. > :22:46.
:22:46. > :22:56.remember, I am also a small. If I pray and do very hard work, I will
:22:56. > :23:00.
:23:00. > :23:08.win. And even when she is hardly dressed for it, if she sees a ring
:23:08. > :23:12.or a training session, she just can't resist stepping in. And it is
:23:12. > :23:22.that dedication, says one of her old coaches, which sets her apart
:23:22. > :23:22.
:23:22. > :24:08.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 49 seconds
:24:08. > :24:13.Olympic success for Mary Kom would also mean a massive win for a man
:24:13. > :24:18.apart -- for Manipur. It could Steer at Delhi's focus towards this
:24:18. > :24:24.poor and troubled state, perhaps bringing in new economic measures
:24:24. > :24:32.and fresh Bill to end the violence and insurgency here. -- fraiche