Indian boxing icon Mary Kom, who has been in the news for her personal life, has issued an official apology after her remarks against her ex-husband K. Onler Kom on a talk show sparked backlash on social media. The six-time world champion has been under scrutiny for the past few weeks following comments she made about her former partner Karungu Onkholer (Onler) during a recent chat appearance.
on the program Mary Kom opened up about the reasons behind her divorce in 2023, alleging that Onler cheated her out of millions of rupees she earned during her boxing career, took loans in her name and transferred the property to himself without her consent. Onler later attacked his own allegations, claiming that Mary Kom had cheated on him during their marriage. The boxer has now responded with a public apology on social media.
In an attempt to clarify the situation, Mary Kom said her remarks were made in an emotional moment and were not intended to target men as a whole.
In a video shared online, she said, “Namaskar. First of all, I would like to apologize, my statement on social media confused many people. I want to clarify, it’s not that my marriage was never successful. Everyone agreed, for many years. But later the trust was completely broken, then I changed my mind.”
She added that she always tried to behave with dignity and restraint, regardless of what was said about her in public.
To address her note – “Gali gali mein football khelte hain, aap log bhi khelte hain naa?” – which was interpreted by many as an insult to footballers and Onler’s sporting background, Mary Kom said: “It’s just a note that social media has gone in the wrong direction, which is very unfortunate. I’m absolutely not against any youth football culture or football fraternity.”
She continued to emphasize her affection for the sport despite being a boxer herself. “My ex said he sacrificed his career for football. He played football in Shillong. But after I played football, I met him in Delhi,” she said.
Mary Kom also apologized to those who felt hurt by her words and explained the emotional state she was in at the time. “That moment was emotionally overwhelming for me. Years of suppressed pain, depression, feelings of being used and betrayed by my partner came to the surface,” she said.
The controversy erupted after an emotional segment on Aap Ki Adalat where her ‘Ek rupiya bhi nahi kamaya’ remark went viral and she was widely criticized for allegedly undermining her ex-partner’s posts.
Mary Kom clarified the timeline of her relationship, emphasizing that her marriage was not always a failure and that she remained silent even after the split.
“I would like to clarify, it is not that my marriage was never successful. For many years, everything was the same. But after the trust was completely broken, my choice changed. However, I would like to clarify that after the divorce, in April 2025, I did not make any statement in public or in the media or after the press report appeared in my dispute. I have always claimed to be dignified and restrained,” you behave well
Some of the backlash came from football fans who felt her comments trivialized the struggles of rookie players.
“My comment is that people are going in wrong direction on social media which is very unfortunate. I am not against any youth football, culture or football fraternity at all. I am a boxer but I love football with all my heart and I also love to play football. My comment was not about any sport or players. All abuses start with abuse but people who work hard till the end are committed to his career. Delhi.
Mary Kom concluded with a clear apology. “I sincerely apologize to all those people, especially the wider male community, who were hurt and disappointed by my comment on the Aap Ki Adalat show. My statement was never directed at all men and was never intended to belittle or insult any person. This comment was purely about our conflict and problem. That moment was emotionally overwhelming for me, the pain suppressed by the salon came to the surface. The depression of using together came to the surface. To make it clear, that our statement should not be construed as a teaching, ideology or concept. I am not promoting any kind of negative thought or narrative.”
As Mary Kom attempts to draw the line in the episode, the Olympic medalist goes through a deeply personal phase of public opinion while reiterating her respect for the sport and athletes across disciplines.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 2, 2026