25 May,2019 07:54 AM IST | | Pranjal Baruah
MC Mary Kom and L Sarita Devi
Guwahati: There was no competition for six-time World Champion MC Mary Kom in her final bout at India Open boxing in Guwahati, while Amit Panghal (52kg) won his third gold medal of the year and Shiva Thapa finished on top in 60kg yesterday.
Amidst deafening cheers from her fans, Mary Kom punched her way to gold with a flawless display to breeze past fellow Indian Vanlal Duati in a unanimous 5-0 verdict to win her second gold at the India Open. She had won gold in her previous 48kg category last year in New Delhi.
Veteran L Sarita Devi too added the India Open 60kg gold to her kitty. Sarita endured a tough fight from Simranjit Kaur to edge the World Championships bronze medallist for a 3-2 win. This was the former world champion's first gold medal in three years following her win at the South Asian Games at Shillong in 2016.
Amit Panghal
Devi dedicated the medal to her mother, who succumbed to cancer last year. She said, "I owe everything to her and now I want to prove myself again and continue my pursuit to win an Olympic gold."
Much to the delight of the home crowd, Assam lad Thapa grabbed the 60kg gold in a revenge bout against 2018 champion Manish Kaushik, a year after losing to him in the semi-finals. The Guwahati boy was fierce and aggressive in the 5-0 demolition. Shiva was adjudged best boxer of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal thwarted a spirited challenge from giantkiller Sachin Siwach with a well-calculated display to clinch the gold by a split 4-1 verdict in the highly-competitive 52kg category.
Best boxer of the tournament Shiva Thapa greets Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati yesterday. Pics/PTI
Asian Championships bronze medallist Ashish showed his prowess in 69kg to soar to a 4-1 win over compatriot Duryodhan Singh Negi. There was no stopping Deepak in 49kg. Oozing confidence with every punch, the Asian Championships silver medallist knocked out Govind Kumar Sahani 5-0.
Kavinder Singh Bisht had to settle for the silver in a 2-3 result in a hard-fought contest with 2015 Asian champion Chatchai Decha Butdee. In 64kg, Rohit Tokas suffered a knee twist in the first round and was forced to forfeit his bout to 2010 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Colin Louis Richarno of Mauritius. Tokas had to be content with silver.
Sadly, Ashish Kumar's hopes of adding the 75kg gold were dashed as he had to give a walkover to Philippines's Eumir Felix Delos Santos due to a cut that he sustained on his forehead in the semis.
Assam's Jamuna Boro delivered a flurry of punches that earned her a perfect 5-0 win over Y Sandhyarani. Similarly, Bhagyabati Kachari too proved her mettle in her 3-2 win over Pooja in 75kg.
In 69kg, World Championships bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain missed out on the gold in a tight contest where she ended up 2-3 to Italy's Assunta Canfora. Ankushita Boro picked up the silver after losing 0-5 to Italy's Francessa Amato in 64kg. Neeraj continued her sublime form to notch up a commanding 5-0 victory over Manisha, who had changed the category from 54kg to 57kg.
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