(SEPT 28)  Sunday was quarter-finals day at the 17th Asia in Incheon, South Korea where the boxing tournament is under the control of the AIBA and women’s interest centered on the three Olympic weights where China won all three titles in the last edition. No Cancan Ren this year neither is Cheng Dong representing the country at 60kg. That said two Chinese boxers are through to the semi-finals but flyweight Si Haijuan exited the tournament at the hands of Mary Kom.

The shock of the day, for most observers, was the defeat of London 2012 bronze medallist(60kg) - and Tajikistan’s flag bearer - Mavzuna Chorieva by the Vietnamese titleholder, Thi Duyen LUU (2:1) with the final decision going back to the judges. LUU had in fact won the recent SEA title in South East Asia. Few though would write-off Chorieva’s chances of medalling at the forthcoming AIBA Worlds in Jeju island in November.

The other 60kg semi-finalists at the Seonhak Gymnasium will be Korea’s Jina PARK, Laishram Sarita DEVI of India and China’s Junhua YIN.

Among the flyweights (48-51kg), no one was more impressive that H.C. Mary Kom who captured all three judges’ votes when disposing of the Chinese representative Si Haijuan. Kom was simply too experienced for the young Chinese woman but the latter certainly provided her opponent with tough opposition especially in the second.


She will be joined in the semi-finals on Tuesday by Vietnam’s Le Thi Bang; the virtually unknown Nandintsetseg MYAGMARDULAM from Mongolia and Zhaina SHEKERBEKOVA the champion of Kazakhstan. Can Mary Kom once more become the champion of Asia having only taken bronze four years ago? Follow all the news here on WBAN.com

Within minutes of the bout ending, Bollywood star Prianka Chopra who portrayed ‘Mary Kom’ in the recent film had this to say on her Twitter feed: @priyankachopra:

Congrats @mangtec !You constantly prove you r the champ that makes history. Grateful to have told your story! So proud!

Insofar as the 69-75kg category is concerned in Incheon, the semi-finalists are Kazakhstan’s Marina Volnova,the hot favourite here; Unhui Jang of the PRK;Qian LI of China and the impressive Indian, Rani Pooja a 3:0 victor on Sunday over Dara Flora SHEN (TPE)



You can watch the official trailer for the ‘Mary Kom’ movie here: Link

All the quarter-final results inc. judges’ scorecards : Link