Five-time champion M.C. Mary Kom and and former Asian gold-medallist L.
Five-time champion M.C. Mary Kom and and former Asian gold-medallist L. Sarita Devi (60kg) began their campaigns on a resounding note with comfortable victories in their opening bouts of the Aiba world women’s boxing championships here on Thursday.
While Mary Kom outpunched Sweden’s Juliana Soderstrom 3-0, Sarita got the better of Belarus’ Ala Yarshevich by a similar scoreline with a thoroughly dominating performances.
Mary Kom set up a clash on Saturday with Germany’s Azize Nimani, who stunned Asian Games bronze-medallist Nandint-setseg Myagmardulam of Mongolia.
Sarita will square off against Mexico’s Victoria Torres, who had a first-round bye.
Both veterans are eyeing not just medals but also Olympic berths in this event. The duo will have to make at least the semi-finals to be assured of a ticket to Rio.
In a clinical performance, Mary Kom outsmarted an opponent, who had the height and reach advantage.
The 32-year-old Indian had worked hard on her reflexes ahead of the tournament and the efforts paid off as she easily outwitted Soderstrom’s attempts at attacking her.
The Asian Games gold medallist, who is eyeing not just a medal but also an Olympic berth in this event, used her left hooks to telling effect against Soderstrom, who failed miserably in capitalising on her reach.
In fact, the Swede looked clueless whenever Mary Kom mounted an attack.
