India Open Boxing | MC Mary Kom, Sarita Devi qualify for semi-finals

India Open Boxing | MC Mary Kom, Sarita Devi qualify for semi-finals

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MC Mary Kom has won her quarter-final bout in the bantamweight category against Nepal’s Mala Rai to qualify for the semi-finals at the ongoing India Open boxing tournament in Guwahati. Laishram Sarita Devi has also made it to the top four by winning the quarter-final bout against Preeti Beniwal.

MC Mary Kom dominated throughout the quarter-final bout in the bantamweight category at the India Open boxing championship in Guwahati as she got the better of Mala Rai from the neighbouring country Nepal by a unanimous 5-0 verdict in her favour. She will now take on compatriot Nikhat Zareen in the 51kg semi-final clash. Zareen had won her quarter-final bout against Indian young pugilist Anamika. 

"The main test for me will be the semifinal where I will be playing against Mary, my idol and inspiration," Zareen was quoted as saying by TOI after her quarter-final clash.

In the other semi-final of the 51kg category, two Indians - Jyoti and Vanlal Duati will face each other, Duati was given a walk-over along with India’s Neeraj (57kg), Simranjit Kaur (60kg) and Manju Bamboria (64kg) in the quarters.

Laishram Sarita Devi also managed to win her light welter-weight quarter-final against Preeti Beniwal by a unanimous decision and made it to the semi-finals of the competition. 

Among the male boxers, Pawan Kumar got the better of Olympic champion Brian Agustin Arregui of Argentina in a 4-1 split decision in the 69kg category.

"It was a close fight. He was dangerous with his left hook and landed powerful punches. Pawan outworked him with his clever footwork which was the key," India's chief performance director Santiago Nieva told PTI. 

"He (Narwal) really applied the pressure and the Argentine could not sustain in the end. He scored very well from the outside. It was a fair decision.”

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