As a child, I never enjoyed playing with dolls. My father, a farmer, would ask me to help my mother with the household chores, but I preferred to watch the neighbourhood boys play football or hockey. I was a good athlete and I participated in all kinds of sports in school.

By the time I was 17, I figured out that my real passion lay in boxing. Manipuri boxer, Dingko Singh, who won a gold at the Asian Games in 1998, had created a buzz in Manipur. He inspired me to choose boxing as my career which was the biggest turning point in my life. I started training with Ibomcha Singh soon after.

In 2001, when I was 18, I entered the final of the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) World Women’s Boxing Championship in Scranton in the US. Though I lost, this boosted my confidence. Next year, I won a gold at the games in Turkey and also went on to win the Asian Championships.

 Another beautiful turning point in my life was meeting K. Onkholer Kom whom I married in 2005. Getting a job that year as sub-inspector, Manipur, was a thrilling moment for me.

I don’t have too many educational qualifications, so working as a SI made me very proud.

Setting up the Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation in 2006 — that offers training to talented yet underprivileged young people —was an important decision too.

The year 2008 was a major turning point as well for that’s when I made a comeback after the birth of my twins. Post my marriage and the birth of my sons, people thought that my boxing career was over. But I won a silver medal at the 2008 Asian Women’s Boxing Championship in India and a gold at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in China. People stopped doubting me after that.

My dream was to win a gold medal for India at the London Olympics in 2012, but I lost in the semi-finals and had to settle for bronze. But India was proud of me still and I was promoted to Superintendent of Police, Sports.

I will always cherish the film, Mary Kom, that was inspired by my life. Released in 2014, actor Priyanka Chopra played me and so many more people came to know about me after this film.

I still harbour a dream of winning a gold at the Olympics. My target is the Rio Olympics later this year. I’m preparing very hard for it and I hope that my dream comes true.

(As told to Sarbani Sen)