Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Aswathy Mol could not round off a perfect day for the home crowd at the world boxing champinships, but the celebrations over Aruna Mishra reaching the semi-finals had not quite died down when she bowed out to world champion Ariane Fortin of Canada in a 70kg fight.
The afternoon began with a powerful bout from Chhotu Laura; and it was a sign of things to come. The Haryana girl’s 19-9 win over Delphine Mancini of France in the 50kg category puts her in the last eight. Her next opponent will be Korean Eun-A Jang.
The next bout of Indian interest pitted L Sarita Devi againt Sumeyra Kaya of Turkey (52kg).
This, though, was a battle fought not just in the ring, but also in the stands – between the Indian supporters and the Turkish team. The Turks have been responsible for a fair amount of noise – with their songs and chants adding a fair bit of colour to the stadium. But today they were a pale shadow on the Indian screams.
“As the screams got louder and louder – as they did towards the end of the second round – I really did raise my game. Kaya is one of the top-ranked players, but that was not on my mind,” said a smiling Sarita after her 18-6 win. “Today my height played a big part in my victory,” was how she assessed her bout. But the star of the evening proved to be Jharkand’s Aruna Mishra. Last year she made it to the last eight in Podolsk, Russia, but this year, she has been assured of at least a bronze medal.
“My left-right-left combination was very successful; that was what the coaches had asked me to do. In the last round, I was told to make her run around the ring, and that worked as well,” said Aruna after her 17-7 win.
In the semi-finals, she takes on a familiar face – Aya Cissoko of France. ”I played her in the Venus Cup at Denmark this year. She won that bout, but that was just because I was unwell. I was not fit to fight, but I refused to concede. This time the winner will definitely be me,” was her confident statement.
In the penultimate bout of the day, Ariane Fortin, the defending champion, defeated Aswathy Mol 21-4.
