Assam boxer Lovlina Borgohain and ace Manipuri boxer MC Mary Kom advanced to the semifinals of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi.
Lovelina stormed into semis (69 kg) with a win by unanimous verdict (5-0) over Australian pugilist. With this win, she assures another medal win for India.
MC Mary Kom defeated China’s Wu Yu 5-0 in the light flyweight (48kg) category quarterfinals to enter the semifinal and be assured of a medal.
The 35-year-old mother-of-three Mary Kom entered the event with a remarkable tally of five gold medals and a silver to her credit. She last won a world championship medal in 2010 – a 48kg category gold.
“It was a tough bout. Not very tough but not very easy also. There are a lot of good Chinese boxers who keep coming. I have faced a lot of them but this opponent I have not faced earlier. But once I got her game I thought out what to do and I had not much of a problem after that,” she added.
The Olympic bronze-medallist next faces North Korea’s Kim Hyang Mi in the semi-final on Thursday. The Indian had beaten her in the Asian Championships last year.
“So, I am confident of winning but not overconfident,” she added.
In a bout which saw little action, Mary Kom was the better boxer with clean punches. More importantly, the local favourite rarely allowed Wu to get a clean shot at her. The five judges ruled in her favour with the elaborate scoreline reading 30-27, 29-28, 30-27, 29-28, 30-27.
But with Tuesday’s win, the Manipuri became the most successful boxer in the marquee tournament.
On the other hand, Assam’s Bhagyabati Kachari from Udalguri goes down to World No. 3 Colombian pugilist in QF (81 kg).