Mary Kom gives india first boxing gold at Asiad

Incheon: M C Mary Kom becoming the first Indian woman boxer to clinch a gold medal in the Asian Games after a coming-from-behind win over Kazakhstan’s Zhaina Shekerbekova in the flyweight final here on Wednesday. The five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist beat Shekerbekova 2-0 to improve on the bronze medal she won in the previous edition of the Games, where women boxers made their debut.

But an undeterred Mary stormed her way back by edging past her rival in round two and then dominated the Kazakh in the last two rounds after one of the judge’s score tied the two at 38-38.

“I am very happy to win my first gold medal in these (multi-discipline) Games. I have won a bronze in the last Asian Games, a bronze in the Olympics and now the gold. I have sacrificed my family life, left my kids behind and worked very hard,” Mary Kom said after the bout.

“I was always sure of the gold thanks to the support of my countrymen. After three kids I am an Asian Games champion. Thank you so much,” said the beaming boxer at a media conference.

Mary Kom also said that the controversial loss she suffered to Pinky Jhangra in the trials to pick the team for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games acted as extra motivation for her. PTI SSR PM