Sport - Boxing

Bad start for Indian pugilists

— PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

SLUGFEST: India’s Ibemcha Devi (left) makes Ri Hyon Hwa go on the defensive in their light-welterweight bout on Tuesday. The Indian was outclassed by the North Korean.

GUWAHATI: India’s Pranamika Borah and S. Ibemcha Devi bowed out of the fourth Asian women’s boxing championship at Sarusajai Sports Complex here on Tuesday. The two lost to superior opponents from China and North Korea respectively.

The short and stout Pranamika found Dong Cheng too good in the lightweight (60kg) category and lost 4-1, while Ibemcha was outclassed by Ri Hyon Hwa 2-8 in the light-welterweight (63kg) division.

Pranamika was handicapped by her height and most of her punches landed in the air against her taller rival. The technically superior Dong showed better footwork and composure and used the right straights to telling effect.

Dong took 3-0 lead in the first round before Pranamika could gauge her opponent’s style.

Egged on by teammates and spectators, Pranamika picked up a point in the second round.

The Chinese girl, who backtracked to deny the Indian a clear target to punch, smacked one on the Indian’s face to pick up a point and run out a 4-1 winner.

Ibemcha lacked the technical skill to trouble a solid Ri, whose forte was straight left-right combination.

The Indian, who tried her best to match Ri punch for punch, invariably left her face unguarded and paid dearly for doing so. The North Korean picked 3-1 in the first round, made it 5-1 in the second and ended the bout 8-2.

All the three light-welter winners moved into the semifinals as did Yang Tingting of China in the light-middle weight (70kg) section with a walkover.

Earlier, Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, in the presence of Olympic bronze medal winner Vijender Singh and the other quarterfinalists at Beijing, Jitender Kumar and Akhil Kumar, declared the championship open.

India’s World champion M.C. Marykom took the oath on behalf of all the participants.

The bouts began after a 90-minute cultural programme and that left many wondering whether they had come to watch boxing or the cultural events!

The results: 46 kg: Mala Rai (Nep) lost to Pin Meng Chien (Tpe) 1-5.

54 kg: Koroleva Oxaha (Kaz) bt Wong Sio Chao (Mca) 18-3.

60 kg: Kurlyuk Valeriya (Kaz) lost to Kim Hye Yong (PRK) 3-10; Pranamika Borah (Ind) lost to Dong Cheng (Chn) 1-4.

63 kg: Ma Jianxia (Chn) bt Sumudu Pitigala (Sri) 2-0; Khassenova Saida (Kaz) bt Nguyen Thi Thu Huong (Vie) 10-1; Ri Hyon Hwa (PRK) bt S. Ibemcha Devi (Ind) 8-2.

70 kg: Yang Tingting (Chn) w/o Le Thi Hien (Vie).

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu