Mary Kom And Ex-Husband Row: Here’s Everything So Far

Olympic boxing icon Mary Kom’s personal life has come under intense public scrutiny after her divorce from husband Karung Onkholer, popularly known as K Onler Kom.

Their quiet separation announced in 2023 has now turned into a full-blown public controversy, with both sides presenting sharply different versions of how their two-decade-long marriage collapsed.

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When Mary Kom first confirmed the divorce, she cited personal reasons and requested privacy.

At the time, she did not elaborate further, choosing instead to focus on her career and children.

However, now in a TV discussion, she claimed that the marriage had broken down due to financial issues and alleged irresponsibility on Onler Kom’s part.

According to these claims, Mary Kom was the sole breadwinner, while her husband had no stable job and lived off her income.

The narrative took a dramatic turn when Onler Kom broke his silence. Denying all allegations of financial dependence, he asserted that the public image being built around him was far from the truth.

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Onler, who is a law graduate from Delhi University and a former footballer who played for the Excise and Customs team in Shillong, said he had consciously stepped away from his career to support Mary Kom and take care of their family.

He revealed in a video that he met Mary Kom while preparing for the UPSC examinations, and the two got married in 2005.

Their life together, he said, was built on mutual understanding in the early years, especially as Mary Kom’s boxing career began to take off.

The couple went on to have twin sons in 2007, another son in 2013, and later adopted a daughter in 2018.

Onler Kom insisted that while Mary Kom travelled extensively for training camps and international tournaments, he stayed back to raise their children.

He claimed that he handled everything at home, from cooking and feeding the kids to managing their daily routines and emotional needs.

According to him, he gave up not only his football career but also opportunities in coaching and other professional avenues to ensure stability for the family.

Addressing claims that he lived off Mary Kom’s money, Onler said he is currently living a modest life in a rented apartment in Delhi, paying ₹16,000 a month as rent.

He stated that he owns no property or significant assets and has only one piece of farmland in his native village in Manipur, which was purchased by his father before his marriage.

Far from enjoying a luxurious life, he said, he is now financially strained and trying to rebuild his life from scratch.

In a shocking counter-allegation, Onler Kom also claimed that Mary Kom had an extramarital relationship with a junior boxer.

He suggested that this alleged affair played a major role in the breakdown of their marriage. Mary Kom has not publicly responded to this claim, but it has further intensified the controversy and divided public opinion.