Mary Kom, Amit Panghal enter QFs of Asian Olympic qualifiers, Gaurav Solanki bows out
Other Sports | March 07, 2020 22:41 ISTMary Kom and Amit Panghal won their Asian Olympic Qualifiers matches to reach the quarterfinals.
Mary Kom and Amit Panghal won their Asian Olympic Qualifiers matches to reach the quarterfinals.
Six-time world champion Mary has been seeded second in her category and she will face New Zealand's Tasmyn Benny in the first round.Panghal is upbeat to avenge his defeat in his last meeting with Kharkuu and get his campaign off to a flying start.
The 36-year-old Mary Kom, however, said her immediate target is to first qualify for the Olympics and then she would think about the "colour of the medal".
Boxing Federation of India chief Ajay Singh extended his congratulations to Mary Kom after she was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan.
Mary Kom said that Indian sports has evolved over the years after many athletes have got the financial backing of sponsors these days.
Mary Kom defeated Zareen 9-1 in the trials held on Saturday to make the squad for Olympic Qualifiers in China in February.
The 23-year-old Hyderabadi, who is an Asian bronze-winner, lost to the six-time world champion, who rebuffed the youngster's attempted hug owing to a bitter build-up to the bout.
Ajay Singh on Saturday said the BFI conducted a free and fair trial to pick the women's squad for the Olympic Qualifiers and made light of the drama that unfolded.
The 36-year-old six-time world champion prevailed 9-1 over the 23-year-old former junior world champion and at the end of it all, there was no customary handshake and the senior pro also rebuffed an attempted hug from her younger rival.
Mary Kom said that she doesn't like people with such nature as a point should be proved inside the ring and not outside.
In a bout which had very few clear punches, Mary Kom prevailed 9-1 to make the India squad for the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers.
Nikhat Zareen will take on Olympic silver-medallist Mary Kom in the Olympic 2020 trials for 51kg category.
Mary Kom was scheduled to take on Nikhat Zareen in the ongoing Big Bout League but she pulled out in the last hour due to a back injury.
Putting an end to speculation, High Performance Director Santiago Nieva confirmed that all the women boxers vying for a place in India squad will appear for the national trials in December.
Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom on Thursday expressed gratitude to the World Olympian Association (WOA) after it allowed her the use of post-nominal letters 'OLY'.
Mary Kom will represent the Asian bloc in the group, which also comprises the likes of Ukrainian legend Vasyl Lamachenko, Julio Cesar La Cruz among others.
Mary Kom has maintained that she would go by the decision taken by the federation, which had earlier stated that only the gold and silver-winners from the world event would be given direct selection for the Olympic qualifiers.
Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen had written a letter to Rijiju on Thursday, demanding that she be given a trial bout against Mary Kom before the Indian squad for next year's Olympic qualifiers in China is decided.
On Thursday, Bindra backed Zareen's demand for a trial bout against the six-time world champion before India's squad for next year's Olympic Qualifiers is decided.
Mary Kom has further said that people are jealous of her, and that she has beaten Nikhat Zareen 'many times' in the past.
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