Date:12/08/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/08/12/stories/2005081208392200.htm

Sport - Boxing

Indian women win

NEW DELHI: Indian women made history at the Asian Women's boxing championship as they punched out defending champion North Korea from the pedestal.

Led by World champion M.C. Marykom, the Indian boxers went beyond expectations and brought home seven gold, two silver and two bronze medals from the championship, which concluded in Taiwan on Thursday.

Leading from the very first bout of the finals, the Indians stunned the North Korean camp. Marykom defeated the Philippines' Greatchen Abaniel 35-11 in the pin-weight class and from then on there was no looking back.

India, the runner-up in the last Asian championship held at Hissar, Haryana, in 2003, gave North Korea no chance to regroup its resources.

The historic performance augurs well for the Indian women's preparations for the third women's World championship in Russia from September 18 to 26.

The results:

46kg: M.C. Marykom bt Greatchen Abaniel (Phi) 35-11.

54kg: Sarita Devi bt Ha Son Bi (N.Korea). 60kg: Mitchel Martinez (Phi) bt Pranamika Bora. 63kg: Jenny R.L. bt Sie Wan Jyun (Tpe) 35-20. 66kg: Ri Suk Yong (N.Korea) bt Aruna Mishra. 70kg: Aswathy Mol bt Hu Ya Ming (Tpe) RSC (OS) II. 75kg: Karamjeet Kaur bt Liao Hut Weiv (Tpe) 32-15. 80kg: Lekha K.C. bt Chen Chu Chu (Tpe) RSC (OS) I. 86kg: Jyotsana bt Yinchuwong (Hkg) 17-7.