The women’s competition of the Asian Games has finished in Incheon, where China, DPR Korea and India won the first gold medals of the boxing tournament at the Seonhak Gymnasium.

India’s five-time AIBA Women’s World Champion Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte won her first Asian Games title.

Bout of the day
India’s Mary Kom Hmangte began her boxing career in 2000 at the age of 17, and since then she has won the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2002, 2005, 2006, i2008 and in 2010.

Following these titles she moved up to the Flyweight class (51 kg) and took a bronze in the London 2012 Olympics Games.

Mary Kom had surgery to remove stones from her gallbladder in September 2013, but she was able to return to the training months later.

Her preparation was perfect for the Asian Games where she proved her very best, starting by eliminating Vietnam’s new surprise Le Thi Bang in the semi-final, and she met with Kazakhstan’s former ASBC Asian Continental Champion Zhaina Shekerbekova for the gold.

The 31-year-old Indian boxer had a slow first round, but she managed to stop Shekerbekova’s attacks in the second round, and controlled the bout from the third round, and finally Mary Kom’s hand was raised in the bout of the day.

Surprise of the day
China’s Sportaccord World Combat Games silver medallist and National Games winner Li Qian was the top favourite of the Women’s Middleweight class (75 kg) in Incheon, as the 24-year-old boxer won the China Open Tournament in Guiyang in July which was her last preparation event before the Asian Games.

She knocked out her first Sri Lankan rival in Incheon, and continued the winning path against India’s Pooja Rani in the semi-final.

Li Qian had to meet with DPR Korea’s Jang Un Hui in the final, who had claimed two medals in the previous editions of the ASBC Asian Women’s Continental Championships, but the gold was missing from her collection.

The North Korean boxer tried to reduce the fighting distance against the taller Chinese athlete, and she was strong and fresh enough to do it in the opening round.

Li Qian tried to move away and used her longer reach, and though it worked in the second round, Jang did not give up her golden dreams, and turned back their bout causing a surprise on the eighth competition day.

One to watch
China’s new Lightweight class team member, and National Games winner Yin Junhua began her boxing career at 19, and the athlete, who trains in the city of Hebeiqianan with coach Wang Xiaokang, is definitely naturally talented.

The China Open Tournament winner controlled most of the rounds against Korea’s Park Ji Na en route to the gold medal.

Stat/Fact of the women’s tournament
Forty female athletes competed in the women’s part of the Asian Games in the three Olympic weight classes, where China, DPR Korea and India claimed the gold medals.

Vietnam’s two bronze medals are the result of their boxing development, and among the developing women’s boxing nations, Macau, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan also sent athletes to the Asian Games.

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