The Queen of Boxing: Questions and Answers

1. Antonym

Now, find and write the antonyms for the words in Box A from the set of words in Box B

2. Based on your reading of the text, answer the following questions in two to three sentences each

a.        How did Mary Kom manage to get financial support for her trip to the USA?

 Mary Kom’s father managed to get Rs.2000/- from his source. Her friends met two MPs and got a sum of eight thousand rupees. A little more money had been collected from other source. Thus Mary Kom managed to get financial support for her trip to the USA.

b.        Why did Mary Kom think that she should not return empty-handed?

 Mary Kom was provided with funds from her well wishers. They had confidence in her and donated liberally. She did not want to upset them. Hence she thought that she should not return empty-handed.

c.         What was her first impression of America?

 When Mary Kom reached America, it was snowing. Pennyslvania was cold and beautiful. She felt that the people were enormously nice too.

d.        Why did she call herself ‘lucky’?

 When Mary Kom reached America, She was tired and suffering from jet lag. She did not have any match that day. Since she had time to take rest, she called herself ‘lucky’.

e.         According to Mary Kom, what was the reason for her losing in the finals?

 In USA, Mary Kom had loss of appetite. She was not accustomed to the food in America. She could not eat. As a result she lost her weight. Probably this was the reason for her losing in the finals.

f.          What made her feel confident about the competitive players? Explain.

 At the time of her arrival, Mary Kom had time to take rest. And also she kept telling herself that she could face anyone in the ring. This made her feel confident about the competitive players.

g.        What difficulty did she experience while eating Chinese food?

 In China, Mary Kom was provided with chopsticks to eat meal. She ended up using both her hands to hold the chopstick to pick up the food and push it into her mouth. Though she found difficulty in eating, she enjoyed Chinese food.

h.        How was she felicitated on her return to India?

 At Delhi, Mary Kom was given a warm welcome at the airport. In Imphal, she was greeted with garlands and drumbeats and dancing. A felicitation programme was held in Langol. There she was given adulation. She was presented with a traditional shawl.

i.          What did she consider her greatest achievement? Why?

 Mary Kom retained her world title in 2006 by defeating Steluta Duta of Romania 22-7 at the Fourth World Championships in New Delhi. She considered it her greatest achievement because she was able to win at home. The media named her “Queen of Boxing” and “Magnificent Mary”

3. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of about 100–150 words each

·           Describe Mary Kom’s personal experiences during her first International Championship match from the time of selection to winning the medal.

Title : Queen of Boxing

Authour : Mary Kom

Genre : Autobiography

Theme : Self confidence

Mary Kom, an Indian boxer, was selected in the 48 kg category for the International Boxing Association , World Women’s Boxing Championships in Pennsylvania, USA, in November – December 2001. Mary Kom’s father managed to get Rs.2000/- from his source. Her friends met two MPs and got a sum of eight thousand rupees for her trip. A little more money had been collected from other source. Her well wishers had confidence in her and donated liberally. She did not want to upset them. So she thought that she should not return empty handed. When she reached America, She was tired and suffering from jet lag. She did not have any match that day. She had time to take rest. And also she kept telling herself that she could face anyone in the ring. This made her feel confident about the competitive players. She was qualified for the finals whereas her team mates could not. She was even hopeful of getting the gold. But she had loss of appetite there. She was not accustomed to the food in America. She could not eat. As a result she lost her weight. Probably this was the reason for her losing in the finals. She was quite disappointed. But her coaches were consoled her and lauded her on the silver win. Moreover she was the only one in the team to get a medal. She took away from this championship was the firm belief that she could take on any boxer. 

"It has been a tough journey. I carried on with the support of family and friends. Despite the loss today, I am satisfied with the way I performed."

·           Lack of adequate financial resources and sponsorships often affect sportspersons. How is this evident from Mary Kom’s life?

Title : Queen of Boxing

Authour : Mary Kom

Genre : Autobiography

Theme : Self confidence

Mary Kom, an Indian boxer, was selected in the 48 kg category for the International Boxing Association , World Women’s Boxing Championships in Pennsylvania, USA, in November – December 2001. Mary Kom’s father managed to get Rs.2000/- from his source. Her friends met two MPs and got a sum of eight thousand rupees for her trip. A little more money had been collected from other source. Her well wishers had confidence in her and donated liberally. She did not want to upset them. So she thought that she should not return empty handed. She came back with a silver medal. But she was not happy over this. She determined to get gold for India. The silver in Pennsylvania and prize money from the government had put an end to her immediate financial worries. But she wanted a job since it would provide a steady and security income. When she was getting married she had no savings except a couple of life insurance policies. In 2005, Manipur government offered her a sub inspector job. Subsequently she got rid of her financial problems.

·           Why was Mary Kom named the ‘Queen of Boxing’ and ‘Magnificent Mary?’

Title : Queen of Boxing

Authour : Mary Kom

Genre : Autobiography

Theme : Self confidence

From 2001 to 2004 Mary Kom won several golds. She participated in many International Championships and bagged many medals. In the mean time she got married. Everyone was doubtful about her medal hauls. But after the marriage she took part in and won a gold in the Third and Fourth World Women’s Boxing Championships in October 2005 and November 2006. She retained her world title in 2006 by defeating Steluta Duta of Romania 22 – 7 at the fourth World Championships in New Delhi. She considered it one of her greatest achievements. It was the most memorable for she was able to win at home. She got hat-trick win of world Championship. So the media named her the ‘Queen of Boxing’ and ‘Magnificent Mary’.

 “You don’t have to be in a boxing ring to be a great fighter. As long as you are true to yourself, you will succeed in your fight for that in which you believe.” ― Muhammad Ali