Debutants Boro, Rani make last-4 grade
NEW DELHI: India’s young boxers packed a punch at the AIBA World Women’s Boxing Championships on Thursday as they were assured of four medals from Ulan-Ude, Russia. Besides sixtime world champion MC Mary Kom, two debutants Manju Rani (48kg) and Jamuna Boro (54kg) along with Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) won their quarter-final bouts to assure a medal each for the country.
Manju Rani showed that she is cut out for the big international stage as she upset top seed Kim Hyang of North Korea with a 4-1 win. She may not have much international experience but Rani, who won silver at Strandja Cup recently, was fearless against a tough competitor. She will next face Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat, who upset fifth seed Yuliyanova Asenova.
Boro defeated Germany’s Ursula Gottlob 4-1 in 54kg. Boro too has quickly taken big strides in a short time and proved her mettle this year with a gold medal at the President’s Cup. In the semi-finals, she will have a tough opponent in top seed and former Asian Games bronze medallist Huang Hsiao-Wen of Chinese Taipei. “Gottlob surprised me with her aggression initially but I was able to take control in the later rounds,” said Boro. “The Chinese Taipei boxer is taller than me but I have practiced with taller opponents and I am hoping to continue my good performance.”
In the Olympic category, Lovlina confirmed her second successive medal from the World Championships. She had won a bronze medal at home last year.
The Assam boxer outpunched sixth seed Karolina Koszewska of Poland 4-1. She will now face China’s Yang Liu, who stunned top seed Chen Nien-Chin and would be looking to go a step ahead than last time.
However, two-time bronzemedallist Kavita Chahal (+81kg) bowed out after a 0-5 loss to Katsiaryna Kavaleva of Belarus.