Debutant Sonia reaches final
Chahal second Indian to enter title round; Simranjit settles for bronze
NEWDELHI:DEBUTANT Sonia Chahal has shown good composure during her bouts at the World Championships here. She has not been rattled by her opponents and their strategies. This quality once again stood out for her as she defeated Asian Games silver medallist Jo Son Hwa of North Korea to enter the final of the 57kg category here on Friday.
Sonia won her semi-final bout by a unanimous 5-0 verdict. For the 21-year-old to reach the final of the World Championships in her maiden appearance, it could not have come in a better way. The 57kg is also a new Olympic category. She became the second Indian after MC Mary Kom to make it to the final at this year’s championships. This is the first time after 2006 that India will have two finalists in the elite competition.
However, another youngster Simranjit Kaur lost a close bout against China’s Dan Dou in the 64 kg semi-final. Simranjit played with a big heart, going all out in the second and third rounds with the crowd rooting for her but in the end it did not prove enough. She finished with a bronze medal, India’s second from the competition after Lovlina Borgohain.
For debutant Sonia, there was a lot at stake when she entered the ring for the semi-finals. She had replaced reigning silver medallist Sonia Lather in the category and carried the burden of expectations. Lather had won India’s only medal from the previous World Championships but she did not show good form in the build-up to the World Championships. Her poor show at the Asian Games meant that selectors gave Chahal the opportunity at the biggest of stages, and the Haryana girl did not disappoint.
Chahal may not be an attacking boxer but she is tactically sound. Up against the Asian Games silver medallist Son Hwa, Sonia received some heavy blows in the first round. Throughout the competition Sonia has showed her mental toughness to quickly recover from such pounding and get on with the game. That’s the reason she has been able to turn the tables on some tough opponents in close bouts.
Son Hwa, small and sturdy, packed considerable power in her punches and threw them straight. Sonia showed good defence and stepped up in round two. But it was in the third round that Sonia showed the urgency to move in and go for her combinations, which proved decisive.
“I can’t believe that I have reached the final of the World Championships at home, in my first attempt. I have worked extremely hard for this day and I have followed whatever the coaches instructed me.”
“It was a tough bout and after the second round the coaches asked me to get aggressive, so I was more attacking,” said Sonia, who hails from Nimri village in Bhiwani district.
Sonia will face Gabriele Omella Wahner of Germany who defeated Netherlands Jemyma Betrian 5-0.
Shortly after Sonia’s bout was Simranjit whose attacking style has been a treat to watch so far. The Chinese boxer was equally aggressive and it was raining punches from the first round. Both looked tired after the heavy artillery blows but Simranjit went all out even in the final few seconds. It looked like the Indian might have just sealed the deal, at least she did in the eyes of the spectators who cheered voraciously, only to drop to a stunned silence as Dan Dou was adjudged the winner.
Simranjit, however, said: “I am satisfied with the way I fought and my performance here. I thought I was trailing in the first round and I stepped up in the second round. I gave my best in the third round,” she said.