New Delhi: World Champion MC Mary Kom will spearhead India’s challenge in the 2012 Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championship to be held from 16th to 26th March in the capital of Mongolia, Ulan Bator.
Still new to the 51 kilogram weight category, the 28 year old expects to get good exposure out of this tournament. “The Asian Championships will be a big test for me; it will be my first major tournament in the 51 kg weight after the Asian Games in 2010. Lot of good women boxers in world come from Asia, so this event will provide me a good opportunity to access my game before the big events – the World Championships and the Olympics”.
Four times Asian Champion, Sarita, is also a part of the Indian team selected for the Asian Championship. She also recently shifted to 60 kilogram weight category – a move, she says was long overdue and has suited her body structure well. She started her career in the 57 weight category, played in the 54kg class, before finally settling into the 51kg division. But over the years she has had difficulties maintaining her weight because of her height. After much deliberation and consultation with National Coach D Chandra Lal she decided to switch to 60 kg. And like her Manipur comrade and every other athlete, she too desires for an Olympic medal.
“Like every other women boxer, Olympic qualification is of utmost importance and I have been training very hard to make the cut. But before the World Championships, the continental Championships, will be the first major assessment in this weight division and I am quite confident of a good performance,” expressed Sarita.
Accompanying the two stalwarts of Indian women’s boxing at the championship would be Arafura Games gold medallist Pinki Jangra. For the 21-year-old, who will be making her debut at the Asian Championship, this tournament would be her first major international tournament. The Haryana girl who has been tagged as the Giant Killer in the domestic circuit is keenly looking forward to the championship as an opportunity to break into the international scene. Heavy weight boxer and a bronze medallist at the 5th Asian Women Boxing Championship Kavita will also be seen in action Mongolia.
Coach Chander Lal said that the Asian Championships will be the big litmus test for the Indian Women before the World Championships and the Olympic Games. He stated, “The sixth edition of the continental championships will have an added edge to it. The event is a precursor to the Olympic qualifying tournament and therefore all boxers from participating countries will be gunning to get in a good stride and start off well. A number of good pugilists would have altered their weight to fit into the Olympic weight divisions and this would make the competition all that more tough and difficult to predict”. Talking about India’s chances at the tournament he said, “All our girls selected to partake in the event are the best in their weight division. But we also have to remember that our two best performers at the Asian Championships are now fighting in a different weight divisions. It is tough to forecast if we would be able to strike gold at Mongolia, but I can with some assurance say that we will return with five medals.”
The Continental Championship will be a good testing ground for the big-ticket tourneys coming up later this year. The event will serve as a good preparatory event for the women pugilists participating in the first and only Olympic Qualifying tournament in the sport of women boxing, the 2012 AIBA World Women’s Boxing Championships to be held from 9-20 May in Qinhuangdao, China.
Squad:
Indian team for 2012 Asian Women's Championships
1. Light Fly Weight (48kg) Pinky Jangra
2. Fly Weight (51kg) MC Mary Kom
3. Bantam Weight (54kg) Sonia Lather
4. Feather Weight (57kg) K Mandakini Chanu
5 Light Weight (60kg) L Sarita Devi
6 Light Welter Weight (64kg) Meena Rani
7. Welter weight (69kg) Monica Saun
8. Middle Weight (75kg) Pooja Rani
9. Light Heavy Weight (81kg) Bhagyabati Kachari
10. Heavy Weight (+81kg) Kavita Chahal
Support Staff
1 Team Manager - Brig PK Muralidharan Raja
2 Head Coach - Anoop Kumar
3 Coach- D Chandra Lal
4 Coach - Hemlata Negi
5 Coach - Geeta Chanu
6 Doctor - Dr Sanjogita Soodan
7 Physiotherapist Hema Valecha
