All the hopes in Mary Kom as the women's world championships start today | Boxing News

NEW DELHI: Women's boxing is a booming sport, especially with respect to the Olympics. It was first recognized at the London Olympics in 2012 and since then it has become a regular feature of the five weight clbades: weight on the fly (51 kg), featherweight (57 kg), lightweight ( 60 kg), average weight (69 kg) and average weight (75 kg). – now a certainty for the 2020 Tokyo Games as well.

Outside of the Olympics, the 10th edition of the AIBA World Women's Boxing Championships is the most important event of this sport. The tournament returns to India after a gap of 12 years. The two Indian boxers – MC Mary Kom (48 kg) and L Sarita Devi (60 kg) – are the only survivors of the first Worlds held here in 2006.

Mary Kom continues to gain ground by winning an unprecedented gold medal for five world championships and a historic bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics. At age 35, he now has three children but remains one of the fastest and most elegant of the Indian team of 10 members for this tournament.

She will try to break the stalemate with Irishman Katie Taylor by winning a sixth record gold medal when the competition begins Thursday at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. Mary will be competing in the lightweight flyweight category, which is not part of the 2020 Olympics and was excluded from the pre-quarterfinals.

The Indian icon will face the winner of the national champion of Kazakhstan, Aigerim Kbadenayeva, or the American pugilist Jazzelle Bobadilla. "The new boxers are more robust, smarter and faster. I will have to use my experience against them. I need energy to last three rounds, so plan and strategize for my fights, "Mary said before the draw.

The championships will bring together more than 300 boxers from 72 countries (they could have had 73 if the boxer from Kosovo had received the Indian visa) – including eight beginners. The Indian hosts are looking to improve their best score, which was eight medals (4 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze) in 2006. The competition will however be much more difficult because women's boxing is now an Olympic sport unlike 12 year old return.

"Since 2012, competition has become more difficult. There are so many countries now. At the time, we had no experience and we were using our power, now we have experience too. We use our brains to compete with young people. The advantage for us will be the support of the home crowd, "Sarita Devi told TOI before the tournament.

Other than Mary Kom (48 kg) and Sarita Devi (60 kg), the other Indians who were eligible to vote in the first round were Pinky Rani (51 kg), Sonia Lather (57 kg), Lovelina Borgahain ( 69 kg), Sweety Boora (75 kg) and Seema Poonia (+ 81 kg). Manisha (54 kg) and Kachari Bhagyabati (81 kg) will compete with Dina Zholaman and Irina Nociletta on 16 and 18 November respectively. Seema will face China's Xiaoli Yang, who also got a pbad in the first round of 81kg.

"I had never even dreamed that twelve years later I would be competing at the World Championships at home, but after the 2012 Olympics, I dreamed of winning a medal and that desire is still alive. in me ", Sarita, 36 years old. years of Imphal, said.

Indian boxers would face fierce competition in all Olympic weight clbades.

The boxer of Kosovo Sadiku absent from the draw

19-year-old Donjeta Sadiku from Kosovo was the only missing name in the 60kg draw. She did not get her visa until Wednesday night. India does not recognize Kosovo and the government refuses to grant him visas, as well as his two coaches.

Ramla Ali, who will become the first Somali boxer to compete at the World Championships, was encouraged. Ramla had the privilege of reading the oath with Mary Kom.