India’s five-time world champion M.C. Mary Kom apologised yesterday after being knocked out of the Olympic Games flyweight semi-finals.

“Magnificent Mary”, 29, suffered an 11-6 defeat to Britain’s Nicola Adams, the world silver medallist, who now faces China’s world champion Ren Cancan in today’s flyweight final.

“My whole country was hoping for me to win a gold medal, and I am sorry I have not come back with that,” said Kom, who had to move up a weight category to fight in London and finishes with bronze.

Kom is India’s only boxing medal success of the Games after Vijender Singh failed in his bid to claim a second straight bronze on Monday when he lost his middleweight quarter-final.

Despite the defeat, Kom won the praise of Indian cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar.

“Mary Kom is an amazing woman. What an effort to win a medal for India. We all are extremely proud of you,” tweeted Tendulkar.

The women’s flyweight final will be a re-run of May’s world championship gold medal bout, which Adams lost, but the 29-year-old Briton is hoping home support at the ExCel Arena will see her take gold.

“I have been training since I was 12 and to think I am nearly there now makes me so happy,” said Adams.

“I am going to do everything exactly the same as normal, but hopefully the crowd here in London will give me a boost and I can get that gold medal for my country.”