Olympics boxing: Mary Kom captures India's heart

A month ago, India's diminutive female boxer Mary Kom was just an occasional story on the sports pages. With an Olympic medal in hand, she has become the nation's newest sports star.

She's been winning world championships for years, but boxing has few fans in India, and many in this traditional country can't fathom the idea of a woman landing lethal left hooks. Only now, has "Magnificent Mary" seized the front pages.

Kom was guaranteed at least a bronze medal with a victory on Monday and many were hoping she might bring back the first ever gold medal won by an Indian woman. But she lost her semifinal match to British boxer Nicola Adams at the London Games on Wednesday.

Nevertheless, the recent outpouring of glowing support for Kom didn't dim after her loss.