Mary Kom, a six-time world boxing champion and Olympic bronze medalist, was married to Onler Kom for over 20 years but when the news of their divorce surfaced in media, it came as a huge shock for many. The news of the divorce was confirmed in 2025 but both Mary Kom and Onler remained mum about the reasons. After Mary Kom accused her husband of financial fraud, accusing him to taking loans and mortgaging her property, Onler Kom has denied all the allegations levelled against him and broken his silence.
In an interview to Hindustan Times, Onler accused Mary Kom of having multiple affairs during the course of their marriage. In an interview, he alleged that Mary first had an affair in 2013 with a junior boxer and he has proof of that. “Firstly, in 2013, she was having an affair with a junior boxer. Our families had a fight, and after that, we compromised,” he told IANS.
“And since 2017, she’s been having a relationship with someone working at the Mary Kom Boxing Academy. I have their WhatsApp messages as proof. I have proof, with the name of the person with whom she was having an affair. I remained silent. She wanted to stay alone and have another relationship. We’re divorced. I don’t mind if she wants to have another husband. But don’t ever blame me. And if she’s to blame me, bring the proof; get the papers. I know where she lives and with whom,” he stated.
Onler Kom on Mary’s financial fraud allegationsSpeaking to Rajat Sharma on Aap ki Adalat, Mary Kom accused Onler of financial fraud, saying it broke her trust and ultimately their marriage. Earlier this month, in an interview with news agency PTI, Mary Kom alleged she has been cheated of crores and lost possession of land she bought with her own hard-earned money. “He kept taking loans, mortgaging my property which he transferred in his name. He borrowed money from locals in Churachandpur and to recover it from him, they have seized the land through underground groups,” she said.
At the TV show, Mary Kom did not pull any punches and claimed Onler “never earned a penny” and survived on her earnings from boxing. She further revealed that after her 2022 injury (right before the Commonwealth Games), she saw his “real face.”
Live Events
ALSO READ: Mauni Amavasya today January 18: On New Moon Day, what are the things you should do and avoid? Check full list
“Things were fine till I was competing and had very little involvement in my finances but when I got injured before the 2022 Commonwealth Games, I realised I was living a lie.
“I was bed-ridden for several months, and needed a walker after that. It was then that I realised that the man I had trusted was not what I believed him to be. I did not want it to be a spectacle for the world so I sought a divorce after several attempts to resolve it between us,” she told PTI.
She claimed she caught him red-handed when he withdrew Rs 10 lakh from her account without her consent and later lied about it as well. She also accused him of transferring her properties and assets worth several crores into his own name without her prior knowledge. These, she said, felt like betrayals and ultimately took a toll on their marriage.’I lived like her slave’, says Mary Kom’s husbandReacting to Mary Kom allegations, Onler Kom told HT, “I was her driver. I was her cook. I did everything. And I did that because it was for our house and family. I lived like her salve. But in my eyes, it was all for love and family. Now, she is saying these hurtful things. Fine, we have obtained a divorce through customary court, but don’t discredit my support. Don’t say such rude and disrespectful things!”
ALSO READ: Quote of the Day by Daisaku Ikeda: ‘It is much more valuable to look for the strength in others. You can gain nothing…’
He went on to say that he gave up his career to look after the family and the house- a decision that Mary had asked him to take for her. “I was preparing for UPSC when we met. I was also a contract football player for Shillong’s Excise and Customs department. She requested me to give up my career and support her. She asked me to raise the kids. She was passionate about boxing and I loved her, and I thought her passion was our passion. She was away for weeks and months. I raised the kids. I bathed them, fed them, took them to coaching and kept the house running!,” he added.
He also spoke about Mary’s allegations of financial fraud, calling them false and mere accusations. He shared that even after being married to her for nearly two decades, he lives in a rented house in Delhi. He said that although he helped Mary start and register the boxing academy, someone else was made its chairman. Reacting to her claims that she alone took care of their children, Onler added that while she was the primary earner, he was the one taking care of the kids.
“In almost 20 years of marriage, I supported in every way possible. Now, she is accusing me of siphoning off her money. Take my PAN card or my tax returns. I dare Mary and anyone else spreading these stories to prove that I’ve ever done anything like that. I have no assets in my name and no money.
I am right now living in a rented accommodation in Delhi. The rent is 16,000 a month. I have only one piece of land in our village in my name. My father bought that piece of land before our marriage. It is a khet (farmland); he was a farmer.
ALSO READ: Republic Day 2026 weekend escape: From Auli to Ranthambore, here’s a list of travel ideas from Delhi-NCR; places to go and a complete itinerary
She has several movable and immovable assets. She earned those and I supported her. And in my understanding we were a family and we were doing it together.”
“I have kept quiet all these years. When news of her alleged relationship with another boxer’s husband came out, I was pursued by the media for an interview. I still kept quiet. I kept my dignity and hers. But when people started questioning her and saw through her she is trashing me to gain sympathy. You can’t use and throw me, and then again use me now to earn sympathy. I was her pillar of support, she has herself said that on several occasions. People in the industry, other players, have also acknowledged my contribution. People reach out to me and say my support has been exemplary. And after this appearance of hers on that show, many have again reached out to me to say they know the truth and stand by me,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI, TOI)