Mary Kom, Gaurav Solanki and Vikas Krishan won boxing gold medals for India at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on Saturday.
Mary Kom won the Commonwealth Games medal in her first appearance at the quadrennial extravaganza as she defeated Northern Ireland’s Kristina O’ Hara in the final of the women’s 45-48 kg category.
(Read more: Follow all the updates on an action-packed day ten for India here.)
At 35, Mary became the first Indian woman to win a gold at the Commonwealth Games. She was cautious at the start, and just about edged the first round. More aggressive in the second round, Mary displayed good defence against a taller opponent who tried to use her reach to unsettle the Indian.
In the end, Mary rode out the third round to notch up an unanimous victory, overcoming the disappointment of not making the 2014 Commonwealth Games squad.
Gaurav Solanki won India’s second boxing gold of the day after he defeated Northern Ireland’s Brendan Irvine in the 52 kg category. Solanki was aggressive from the outset, as he threw a flurry of punches in the first round.
His defence held up as the Irishman was unable to breach it, Solanki winning 4-1 on a split decision. Amit Panghal won the silver in the 46-49 kg category as the boxer appeared to tire after the first round.
Panghal lost to England’s Yafai Galal 3-1 in a split decision, the 22-year-old Panghal had won bronze earlier at the Asian Championships.
Manish Kaushik, the favourite for the 60 kg lost out after a split decision went in favour of Australian Harry Garside. Kaushik looked to have got the better round of the two in the final couple of rounds, but the 2017 national champion had to be content with a silver medal.
In the evening session, Vikas, a former Asian Games gold-medallist and world bronze-medallist, dominated Cameroon’s Dieudonne Wilfred Ntsengue to claim the third gold for India.
The technically superior Indian stuck to his usual tactic of taking slow control of the proceedings, trading with caution first up before letting it rip to take the opponent by surprise.
Vikas
plans to turn professional by the end of this year and the gold here just adds to his accomplished amateur run.
Satish Kumar lost on points to Englishman’s Frazer Clarke, as the super heavyweight went down 0:5 on points. Kumar won India’s third silver and sixth medal of the day.
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