The air surrounding the women’s representation in the 51 kg category at the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers as finally cleared on Saturday as six-time world champion MC Mary Kom defeated Nikhat Zareen in the final in Delhi. With this loss, Nikhat‘s dream of playing in Tokyo Olympics was shattered and it was decided that only supermom Mary Kom would represent India in this category. Mary Kom got the better of her ‘challenger’ with a 9-1 split decision victory.
The Olympic qualifiers will be played in Wuhan, China from February 3 to 14 in February next year. Both boxers had earlier won their first round matches on Friday in a unanimous decision. Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen defeated reining national champion Jyoti Gulia on Friday, while multiple-time Asian champion Mary Kom pinned Ritu Grewal.
Nikhat had created a ruckus a few weeks ago by demanding a trial against six-time world champion MC Mary Kom, following the lax attitude of the Indian Boxing Federation on the selection policy for the Olympic qualifier. Whille Mary Kom had maintained that she would follow the BFI policy, which in the end decided to conduct trials.
The mutual tension between the two female puglists was also visible in the ring, as after the match, Mary Kom did not greet Nikhat after the match. She said, ‘Why should I shake hands with her? She wants others to respect her, so first she has to respect everyone. I do not like people of such nature.” The six time world champion then advised Nikhat “Prove your points inside the ring, not outside.”
In other results, two-time world silver-medallist Sonia Lather (57kg) lost to Sakshi Chaudhary. Lather, also an Asian medallist, couldn’t cope with Chaudhury‘s relentless attack.
In the 60kg category, former world champion L Sarita Devi was upstaged by national champion Simranjit Kaur. Kaur outsmarted Sarita with her precise hitting and quick reflexes.
In the 69 kg category Lovlina outpunched Lalita by as Pooja got the better of Nupur in the 75kg category.
