Indian boxers at London 2012

Mary Kom, Vijender Singh and Krishan Yadav lead a strong Indian boxing contingent to the London Olympic Games.

Mary Kom (Women's Flyweight): She is a five-time successive World Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six World Championships. She came back from a two-year sabbatical to clinch her fourth successive World Amateur boxing gold in 2008, a feat that prompted the AIBA to describe her as 'Magnificent Mary'. Mary was one of the three brand ambassadors selected by AIBA to make a successful bid for the inclusion of women's boxing as an Olympics programme. Mary is the only Indian woman boxer to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics, the quota she achieved in the 2012 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships after reaching the quarter-final, where she lost to world number two Nicola Adams of England.

Vikas Krishan Yadav (Welterweight): He won a gold medal in the 2010 Asian Games in the Lightweight category. The now 20-year-old Krishan Yadav won a gold medal in the 2010 Asian Youth Boxing Championships; and won a gold medal in the 2010 Youth World Amateur Boxing Championships at Baku in the Lightweight category.

Devendro Singh (Light flyweight): Devendro, 19, hasn't achieved much at any level during his career, and when he qualified for the Olympics last year, it was a surprise even for his coaches. But it was no mean a feat for a boy who got selected over the Commonwealth Championships gold medallist Amandeep Singh in the trials. Devendro justified his selection by reaching the quarterfinals of the World Championships which also ensured his London berth.

Vijender Singh (Middleweight): He won the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games - the first ever Olympic medal for an Indian boxer. In 2009, he participated at the World Amateur Boxing Championships where he won the bronze medal. He also won a bronze at the 2010 Commonwealth Games; and at the 2010 Asian Games, Vijender won the gold by shutting out Uzbek two-time world champion Abbos Atoev 7:0 in the final.

Shiva Thapa (Bantamweight): The 18-year-old is the youngest Indian boxer to qualify for the Olympics. He won a bronze medal in the 52-kg category at the 2009 Junior World Boxing Championships in Armenia. At the 2010 Youth Olympics, Shiva won the silver medal in the 54kg category after losing to a Cuban boxer in the finals. In the 2012 Asian Olympic Qualifiers held in Astana, Kazakhstan, Shiva defeated Syria's Wessam Salamana 18-11 to clinch the gold medal and qualified for 2012 London Olympics in 56 kgs category.

Jai Bhagwan (Lightweight): Despite having won medals at many major competitions, Jai Bhagwan has never got the kudos he deserved. However, Jai made his presence felt in the 60kg category by qualifying for the London Olympics when he made it to the quarter-finals of the World Championships in 2011. Jai is a two-time Asian Championships medallist and a bronze winner at the Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Manoj Kumar (Light welterweight), won a gold medal in the light welterweight division at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He hails from Rajound village, Kaithal district in Haryana.

Sumit Sangwan (Light heavyweight): The 19-year-old outclassed Jordan's Ihab Almatdault 24-12 in the 81 kg category at the Asian Qualifying Event in Astana (Kazakhstan) to book a berth in the 2012 London Olympic Games.