Manipuri pugilist defeats Hyang Mi in title round, while Sonia settles for Silver
Indian boxing stalwart M C Mary Kom (48kg) clinched an unprecedented fifth gold medal but Sonia lather (57kg) settled for silver at the Asian Championships, here on Wednesday.
Up against North Korea's Kim Hyang Mi, the five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist Mary Kom prevailed in a unanimous 5-0 verdict to add another accolade to her already crowded cabinet.
However, world championship silver-medallist, Sonia, had to be content with a runners-up finish for the second time at this event after she went down in a split verdict to China's Yin Junhua in the final.
India thus signed off with a gold, a silver and five bronze medals at the continental showpiece.
This was Mary Kom's first international gold medal since the 2014 Asian Games and her first medal in over a year.
With Wednesday's gold, she kept her excellent record at this event intact, having made the final in all of her six appearances with only one ending in a silver. Mary Kom's previous gold medals at this meet had come in 2003, 2005, 2010 and 2012.
"I am really happy the way this Championship has panned out. I would like to dedicate this victory to all those who have supported me even though the world had written me off. I would like to thank my coaching staff who worked hard with me over the last few months," Mary Kom said after the triumph.
In Hyang Mi, the 35-year-old Manipuri found her most aggressive opponent so far in the tournament but she was up for the task.
Unlike her previous bouts, in which the opening three minutes were invariably spent measuring up the rival, both the boxers were lunging at each other within seconds of the bell going off.
Matched quite evenly in speed and precision, Mary Kom scored for her ringcraft, which included some fine footwork to outpace Hyang Mi at crucial junctures.
There was hardly any power-hitting on display but the contest was made engaging by the boxers' fast-paced exchange of punches.
The North Korean was relentless with her left hooks but the Manipuri did not allow herself to be rattled and scored on counter-attack with her combination blows.
Sonia also fought a draining bout and was at par with her rival in power, precision and pace.
However, Junhua seemed more in control in counter-attacks and managed to strike some neat right straights in what was essentially a messy contest, involving quite a bit of clinching.
Boxing Federation of India President Ajay Singh congratulated the Indian team for the its performance, lauding Mary Kom in particular.
"Mary Kom's gold at the Asian Boxing Championship is a huge victory for India's woman power. This mother of three has shown that with grit and determination you can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds," he said.
"I congratulate the entire Indian team for their performance in the Championship. This is a testament to all the hard work that the boxers and coaches are putting in to ensure that India becomes a boxing power in the near future," he added.
India had won six medals at the previous edition of championship in 2015 but that had not included a gold.
‘Every medal a story of struggle’
Every medal is a story of struggle, says the indomitable M C Mary Kom, who considers her fifth Asian Championship gold medal special as it came despite the many roles she has had to play outside the ring in the past one year.
Mary Kom scripted history by becoming the first boxer to claim five gold medals at the continental meet in the Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh. "This medal is very special to me just like all other medals I have won because it has its own story of struggles. Every medal I have won is a story of a difficult struggle. I am hoping this medal, which has come after I became an MP, will enhance my reputation even further. I hope my stature grows," she said.
Besides being an active and top-level boxer, the 35- year-old is a sitting Rajya Sabha MP, whose attendance in the house has never been brought into question, a government observer for boxing in the country and a "very busy" mother to her three sons. Add to this, she is also involved in the running of her academy in Imphal, along with her husband Onler Kom. "I have been an active MP, I am attending Parliament regularly and despite that I trained hard for this championship. Since I am a government observer, I have to be present at meetings related to the running of the sport as well. I hope people realise how tough it is," she said. "I have been juggling so many roles. I am a mother too, I have three sons to take care of. I don't even know how I manage to pull it off sometimes," she added.
The diminutive Manipuri has been the face of women's boxing not just in India but all over the world, earning the nickname 'Magnificent Mary' from the International Boxing Association (AIBA) back in 2010.
She was last year honoured with the AIBA legends' award for her long and sparkling career, which also includes a gold medal at the the 2014 Asian Games.
The pace of her life is sometimes hard to keep up with, admits Mary Kom.
"After this (the Asian Championships), I have to travel to lausanne for an IOC athletes forum. And I hate journeys now. The travelling wears me down, it is actually quite horrible to go from one airport to another in a matter of days. But you can't walk away from your responsibilities and commitments," she explained.
Even at the Asian Championships, Mary Kom was hardly pushed by her opponents, who seemed reluctant to be on the offensive against her. "They are already so scared of me, my five world titles and reputation are also helping in some way. They seem scared of touching me. It can actually get quite frustrating but I have to keep my calm, whether the opponent is scared or rough and tough. I have to adjust, control and handle immediately in a matter of seconds," she said.
"The competition has certainly improved but I have responded well to it because this weight category suits me," she added, referring to the switch she made from 51kg to 48kg category at the fag end of last year.
PM praises Mary Kom
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated boxer Mary Kom for winning the gold medal.
"Congratulations Mary Kom for clinching the gold at the ASBC Asian Confederation Women's Boxing Championships. India is elated at your accomplishment. @MangteC," the Prime Minister tweeted.
"What a heroic performance & what a comeback! CONGRATS @MangteC for FIFTH Gold in #AsianBoxingChampionships! Keep the tricolor flying high, champion!" tweeted Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.