'He lived on my earnings': Mary Kom divorce row explodes after Manoj Tiwari’s fiery attack

Tiwari took to social media to express his displeasure after Mary Kom accused her former husband of falsely claiming that he had sacrificed his career to support her sporting journey.

In a later deleted social media post, Tiwari said, "She is a champion who has excelled in her discipline and brought glory to the country. But what she said about her ex-husband on your court show — where she stated, ‘I will tell the truth, I got married with my earnings, he didn’t earn even a single rupee’ — that video caused me a lot of pain."

“Although I have nothing to do with her personally, she has been a national-level boxer and a champion, so I understand as a player how strong the support system around someone is. In her case, it was her husband who supported her. She herself had admitted in an earlier video that he helped a lot when she went for practice or preparation, looking after the children and managing other things,” the 40-year-old Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA added.

Manoj Tiwari slammed Mary Kom in a social media post which he later deleted. Photo: Manoj Tiwari/Facebook

What did Mary Kom say?

Speaking on the popular TV show Aap Ki Adalat, Mary Kom made the remarks when she was asked whether she had abandoned her husband after achieving professional success.

“I haven’t ditched him. He cheated and ditched me,” she replied. “Which successful career does he talk about? He didn’t have any successful career. To be honest, we got married and he lived on my earnings. He didn’t earn a single rupee,” she added.

Mary Kom married Karung Onkholer, popularly known as Onler, in 2005. The couple has four children — three sons and an adopted daughter.

After more than 20 years of marriage, they legally divorced by mutual consent on December 20, 2023, under customary law in the presence of both families.

Mary Kom remains one of India’s most decorated sportspersons — a six-time world amateur boxing champion and an Olympic bronze medallist — credited with bringing global recognition to Indian women’s boxing. She has also served in sports administration and public life, cementing her legacy as one of the country’s greatest athletes.