Boxing Worlds: Tough draw for Indians

Five-time world champion M.C. Mary Kom (51kg) will take on Sweden’s Juliana Soderstrom in her opening bout of a highly competitive World Women’s Boxing Championship where only three of her compatriots were given seedings at Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday.

The event — the final qualifying tournament for women boxers in the three Olympic categories of 51kg, 60kg, and 75kg — has 12 Rio tickets on offer which means pugilists will have to at least make the semi-finals of the three chosen divisions to book their berths.

The other Indians eyeing Olympic slots apart from Mary Kom are L. Sarita Devi (60kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg).

The Olympic category draws are expectedly the most crowded featuring 49 and 47 boxers in the 51kg and 60kg divisions respectively, while the 75kg category has 34 in fray.

Mary Kom, a London Olympics bronze medallist and Asian Games gold winner who is eyeing a record sixth gold in the event, will be in action on Thursday along with Asiad bronze winner Sarita.

Sarita will be up against Belarus’ Ala Yarshevich and if she wins, will square off against Mexico’s Victoria Torres.

Pooja, on the other hand, got a first round bye and will fight Ukraine’s Mariya Borusta on Friday.