Asian Games: Mary Kom bags gold medal

Inchon, October 01. Legendary Indian boxer M.C. Mary Kom won the final of the women’s flyweight category (48-51kg) at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon on Wednesday.

Mary, a five-time World Champion, defeated Kazakhstan’s Zhaina Shekerbekova 2-0, with one judge scoring the bout 38-38.

This is the seventh gold for India at Incheon.

The five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist, who had won a bronze when women boxers made their debut at the 2010 Asiad, shifted gears with ease to come out triumphant in the final analysis.

Seemingly vary of her rival in the opening round, Mary Kom preferred to keep a distance and invited Shekerbekova to launch the first attack. The Kazakh, however, did not fall for the bait and back-peddled smoothly to outwit the Indian in the opening two minutes.

However, never the one to give up easily, Mary Kom reworked her strategy and stunned Shekerbekova with her aggression in the second round. Combining her hooks with uppercuts to Shekerbekova’s torso, Mary Kom drew level albeit on a split decision.

The Manipuri mother-of-three, who has been christened ’Magnificent Mary’ by the International Boxing Association for her unprecedented feats, began to dominate in the third round and dictated the pace of the proceedings.

Shekerbekova could not come to grips with the tactical shift in Mary Kom’s game and could only respond by holding her opponent frequently, for which the referee cautioned her.

Iboyaima Laithangbam from Imphal adds: The Manipur government has announced a cash reward of Rs 15 lakh to Mary Kom. A grand reception is being planned by the sports lovers in the state when she returns home.( The Hindu)