New Delhi:
Mary Kom showed why she is the legend in boxing as she defeated Ukraine's Hanna Okhota 5-0 to clinch the Women's World Boxing Championship in New Delhi on Saturday and secure an unprecedented sixth gold medal, making her the most successful athlete in women's boxing in history. Mary Kom had defeated the Ukranian in the 13th International Silesian Championship for women in Gliwice, Poland earlier in the year and she showed her prowess in the first round itself. Mary Kom was on the attack and she landed a couple of strong punches with the right as well as the left. In the second round, Mary Kom was a bit more calm and she bidded her time, dodging Okhota's left hand. Egged on by a massive crowd cheering her name, Mary Kom landed a sharp left as she maintained the momentum. In the third round, Mary Kom continued to land the punches and after a slight confusion, she was declared the winner.
A visibly emotional Mary Kom thanked the crowd and her friends for providing her the motivation to clinch the gold medal. "Winning the 2012 bronze medal was magnificent, but I would love to win a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics," Mary Kom said.
Mary Kom had secured the gold medal the last time it was held in New Delhi in 2006 and she shattered history to become the all-time leading gold medal winner in the World Boxing Championship. With this win, Mary Kom became the only female boxer in history to win six gold medals in the World Boxing Championship. When one looks at both men and women's boxing, Mary Kom has drawn level with Cuban boxer Felix Savon.
Savon won from 1986 to 1999 in the 91kg category and Mary Kom has levelled it. In addition to the Women’s World Boxing Championship, Mary Kom is the only Indian boxer to win gold medals in both Asian and Commonwealth Games. However, in the 2012 London Olympics, she won bronze that too in dramatic circumstances.
Before the start of the tournament, Mary Kom had reflected upon her journey from the beginning. “About five-six years ago, we were suffering in different ways in terms of facilities, travelling-wise and problems related to infrastructure. Today, all needs are taken care off immediately. No need to worry about support and facilities now. The younger generation are far better off than us as they have little worries,” Mary Kom said.
