Mary Kom hands first round ‘knockout’ to Sri Lankan rival Anusha
SHILLONG: Indians made it a “perfect 10” in boxing after the women pugilists swept all three gold medals on offer at the 12th South Asian Games here on Tuesday.
It was an all India-Sri Lanka affair at the NEHU, SAI Special Area Games on Tuesday as MC Mary Kom, L Sarita Devi and Pooja Rani clinched the yellow metal defeating their respective opponents to add to India’s gold-bagging spree at the SAG.
It all went as scripted for the Indian women who crushed any chance of a final-day surprise beating their Sri Lankan opponents convincingly in the three weight categories to make it ‘10 on 10’ for the host nation.
Earlier on Monday, the Indian men had grabbed all seven gold medals on offer to set the platform for a clean sweep in the discipline.
MC Mary Kom set the tempo for the Indians on Tuesday morning, handing over her animated Sri Lankan rival Anusha Dilrukshi a first round technical knockout.
Anusha had challenged the famed Indian of a competitive bout before the start of the competition but the Sri Lankan could hold on to the contest beyond the first round after she sustained an injury on the right knee and moments later came down of a straight punch from the five-time world champion.
Mary Kom, who entered the ring backed by a roaring crowd, was tested in the very first second by a wild swing by the Lankan in their women’s fly weight category bout. Later both boxers collapsed, with Mary on top of Anusha, as the latter received an injury on the right knee. The Lankan mustered courage to continue from there but her effort was shortlived as in the very next second she was brought down by a straight punch. What followed was a round 1 TKO.
Reacting to a query after the bout Olympian Mary Kom said, “She was the one who challenged me before the match. I don’t feel the need to comment if anyone challenges me. I am happy with the performance..Deep inside, I am very positive.”
Comeback girl Sarita Devi, meanwhile, looked to kill competition in the first round itself delivering a flurry of punches t rattle the Lankan opponent Vidushika Prabadhi in their light weight category bout.
The Lankan, however, survived to fight another round and did well to not only resist Sarita’s onslaught but make a statement with a straight punch. Prabadhi fared well in the third round too but eventually went down 0-3 to the Indian.
The impressive Pooja Rani handed over a round 2 TKO to Sri Lanka’s Nilanthi Andaraweer to sign things off in style for India.
A dominating Pooja used her left hooks and jabs to perfection to shaken the Sri Lankan who could not sustain beyond round 2 thus settling for silver in the middle weight category.
India thus clinched all the gold medals on offer in boxing to add fillip to its gold rush in the 12th South Asian Games. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Health Minister, A L Hek, South Asian Games CEO (Shillong), R K Sharma, Chief Secretary, P B O Warjri, among others, handed over the medals to the winners.
Meanwhile, India’s regional supremacy went unchallenged as the hosts were crowned overall champions for the 12th consecutive time after notching up a record-breaking haul of 308 medals, dominating the final day of competitions as well in the South Asian Games here today.
With women boxers scooping all the three gold medals on offer and the judokas also bagging two gold and two silver on the last day of the Games, India’s final tally came to 188 gold, 99 silver and 30 bronze medals.
It was a massive jump in medal count for the Indians, who had won 175, including 90 gold, in the previous edition of the Games in 2010.
At the distant second spot were Sri Lanka with a haul of 186 medals. (PTI)