M C Mary Kom punched her way into the women's boxing semifinals at the Olympic Games yesterday to ensure India of at least a bronze medal. In the track and field events, Vikas Gowda joined a select group of the country's athletes by entering the finals of the men's discus throw event. In boxing, there is no fight-off for a bronze between the losing semifinalists and even if the 29-year-old Mary loses
her next bout she will finish the Games with a bronze in her
kitty.
“Magnificent Mary”, the epithet given to the Manipuri mother of twin boys, fought her way past a hapless Tunisian
opponent Maroua Rahali to score an emphatic 15-6 verdict in the quarterfinals in the inaugural edition of women's boxing.
The five-time world champion also became the third Indian woman to attain medal standards at the Olympic Games and the second in the London Games, after shuttler Saina Nehwal. Weightlifter Karnam Malleswari had won a bronze in 2000 Sydney Games.
Mary Kom will take on local favourite and second seed Nicola Adams of Great Britain in the semi-finals to be held tomorrow.Adams prevailed over Stoyka Petrova of Bulgaria with a convincing 16-7 verdict in another quarter final bout.
Strongman Gowda qualified for the men's discus throw final round without much fuss. US-based Gowda hurled the disc 20 cms beyond the automatic qualification standard of 65 metres in only his second throw to ener the finals to be held today.The 29-year old's throw was the fifth best and the top throw in Group 'A'.
Gowda is also only the second Indian to make the finals in track and field at the on-going Games after Krishna Poonia who eventually finished seventh in women's discus throw.
In shooting events,the Indians ended their campaign on a dismal note. Gagan Narang and Sanjeev Rajput crashed out of men's 50 metre rifle three positions event in the qualifying stage, while Manavjit Singh Sandhu failed to enter the finals in the men's trap event.
With Mary Kom's entry into the semi-finals in Boxing, India's medal tally will now be boosted by one more medal.At present, they have One Silver and Two Bronze medals.