Five time World Champion MC Mary Kom (48kg) and bronze medal winner at the 2010 Asian Championship Pavitra (57kg) made a place in the finals of the “ASBC Asian Cup women’s boxing tournament”, in Haikou, China after notching up wins in the semi-final bouts of their respective weight category.
History repeated itself at the Haikou stadium when Mary Kom, playing her first tournament since her bronze medal winning performance at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, drubbed Kate Appari of Philippines making a place in the finals of the tournament. Mary had defeated Appari in the semi-finals of the 2010 Women’s World Championships in a one-sided contest, on her way to a historic fifth world title. But this time though the 28 year old had to dig deep to fend off the challenge from the Filipino girl. Appari made things difficult for the Mary, but the experience of the world champion was clearly on display as she held to win by virtue of points 11:8. In the title clash, Mary Kom, a mother of two, will face off against Myoung sim kiu of North Korea on sunday.
Pavitra a gold medallist at the 34th National Games, also made her place in the last two of her weight category beating Yang Yanzi of China. Pavitra faced stiff opposition from the local girl, but she displayed some exceptional skills and in the end went on to beat Yanzi on points 9:8. She will not fight Tassamalee Thongjam of Thailand for the championship title.
Mary Kom and Pavitra are the only Indian in the finals of the tournament as compatriots Neetu (60kg), Kavita Goyat (75kg), Laxmi Padiya (81kg) andKavita Chahal (+81kg) lost their semi-final bouts and will have to settle for a bronze medal.
Neetu in the light weight division lost out to Cheng dong of China 5:6 on points and in the middle weight category Kavita Goyat faced defeat at the hands of Li Jinzi also of China. Laxmi Padiya in the light heavy weight and Kavita Chahal in the heavy weight category lost their bouts as well to opponents from Kazakhstan and China respectively.
