Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi, February 2
Mary Kom claimed the gold but the Indian men were denied a complete sweep by traditional powerhouses Cuba and Uzbekistan on an exciting final day of the India Open boxing tournament.
Mary Kom (48kg) got the better of Filipino Josie Gabuco 4-1 in a battle of attrition to come up trumps. Pwilao Basumatary (64kg) was the first to fetch gold with a 3-2 win over Thailand’s Sudaporn Seesondee. Basumatary hails from a small village in Kokrajhar where several families were displaced during the 2012 riots. Her family was among those displaced by the violence but has since moved on. Assamese boxer Lovlina Borgohain claimed the welterweight (69kg) gold after getting the better of compatriot Pooja.
Pinki Jangra (51kg) registered a unanimous victory over Mongolia’s Jargalan Ochirbat. Manisha (54kg) added to the gold rush by claiming the top honours in an all-Indian final against M Meenakumari. L Sarita Devi (60kg) settled for a silver medal after losing to Finland’s Mira Potkenon 2-3.
In the men’s draw, Sanjeet (91kg) picked up India’s first gold of the day when he upstaged Uzbekistan’s Sanjar Tursunov with a 3-2 verdict.
Manish Kaushik (60kg) was given a walkover by his Mongolian rival Battumur Misheelt, who pulled out owing to a cut sustained on his forehead during his semifinal bout. Satish Kumar (+91kg) settled for the silver after being outwitted by Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov in a split 4-1 decision.
Dinesh Dagar took the welterweight (69kg) silver after going down to Uzbekistan’s Bobo-Usmon Baturov. Later, Devanshu Jaiswal (81kg) lost to Cuba’s David Gutierrez (1-4). Saweety Boora (75kg) also had to be content with a second place finish against Cameroon’s Essaine Clotilde.
