Indias women pugilists asserted themselves in the ring once more, assuring the country of at least four more medals at the Asian Boxing Championships here on Saturday evening.
The legendary M.C. Mary Kom (48 kilogram), who has turned her comeback to international boxing into a sweet one, Shiksha (51kg) and Priyanka Chaudhary (57kg) won their bouts on a busy Saturday to advance to the medal rounds.
Earlier, Seema Punia had earned herself a medal in the +81kg category as she turned out to be one of only four boxers in the semi-finals.
Mary Kom was particularly impressive in the 48kg category as she defeated Meng Chieh Pen of Chinese Taipei 4-1. She started on a cautious note, respecting her opponent's known attacking prowess.
The second round saw the tall pugilist from Taipei shedding her defensive bearings and using a combination of left straights and right hooks to up the ante. Mary was up to the task, though. She ensured that she didn't suffer too much damage while at the same time she landing a few blows of her own.
Mary Kom came into her own in the third round, using her speed to land the punches that counted. Her strategy worked perfectly as the blitz handed her a 4-1 victory.
In the Bantamweight category, Shiksha turned a fairly tricky encounter against Uzbekistan's Ferangiz Koshimova into a park in the walk, winning her quarter-final bout 5-0. She had to be at her best though, as Ferangiz was expected to be a tough cookie.
In the lightweight category, Priyanka Chaudhary marked her name on another medal as she easily beat Dulanjani Lankapurayalage of Sri Lanka 5-0.
Saweety Bora, however, couldn't emulate her compatriots as she lost to China's Li Qian.
--IANS
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