MC Mary Kom, Gaurav Solanki and Vikas Krishan continued India’s good showing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Saturday, winning gold medals in their respective weight categories in boxing. (CWG live updates)
Mary Kom won her women’s 48 kg boxing final vs Northern Ireland’s Kristina O’Hara on a unanimous judges decision, thus securing her maiden medal in the Commonwealth Games.
“I am so glad to have made history again, it is a special feeling to win something that is a milestone medal. I am just so glad,” a beaming Mary Kom said after the victory.
“This medal and each one of my medals is special to me because I have worked equally hard for them. And I will continue to do so till the time my body is fit,” she added.
Mary Kom had won an unprecedented fifth gold medal in the 2017 Asian Women’s Championships at Vietnam, proving that there is still plenty of fight left in the veteran boxer.
READ | 2018 Commonwealth Games: Neeraj Chopra wins gold in men’s javelin throw
Many questioned how much she had left in the tank after she had failed to make the cut for the 2016 Rio Olympics, but her dream of representing India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics doesn’t look too far-fetched at this point.
Mary Kom had previously had the honour of bearing the Queen’s Baton during the opening ceremony for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, despite the fact that women’s boxing wasn’t a part of the event at that time.
Women’s boxing was included in the Commonwealth Games for the first time in 2014 but Mary Kom did not qualify for the event at Glasgow.
Gaurav Solanki clinched India’s second boxing gold medal of the day, beating another member of the Northern Ireland boxing contingent Brendan Irvine in the final of the men’s 52 kg final bout.
READ | 2018 Commonwealth Games shooting: Sanjeev Rajput wins gold in men’s 50m rifle 3 positions
Solanki lost the third round but did just enough in the first two to walk away with a gold medal on debut at the Games.
“Today I’m dedicating my medal to my mum, but I want to represent India at the (Tokyo) 2020 Olympics and to be there when they raise the Indian flag,” the 22-year-old said looking ahead.
Vikas Krishan, on the other hand, defeated Cameroon’s Dieudonne Wilfried Seyi Ntsengue to win the men’s 75 kg gold medal.
Panghal, Kaushik settle for silver
Meanwhile, young Indian boxers Amit Panghal and Manish Kaushik both settled for silver medals after losing the finals in their respective weight categories.
Amit Phangal, who was making his maiden appearance in the Commonwealth Games has and previously won a bronze medal in the light flyweight category of the 2017 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in May 2017., lost to England’s Galal Yafai in the final of the men’s 49kg final.
“I am disappointed with the result. I thought it was 50-50 bout,” Amit said after his loss.
Manish Kaushik lost to Australia’s Harry Garside in the final of the men’s 60kg boxing final via a split decision, thus securing another boxing silver medal on the penultimate day of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The day’s final bout involving an Indian saw Satish Kumar settle for silver after losing to England’s Frazer Clarke in the men’s +91kg final.
(With PTI inputs)
