India Open: Furious Mary Kom blasts Nikhat

A livid Mary Kom, on Thursday, asked her vanquished opponent Nikhat Zareen to prove herself in the ring instead of making irritating comments.

Mary was reacting to former world junior champion Nikhat's comments in the media that she was excited to take on her 'idol' and she would 'put up a strong fight by using her brain' in the India Open 51kg semi-finals which the celebrated Manipuri boxer won on Thursday.

"Every bout is a new experience for me. Even I don't know who this girl is. I've been fighting since many years now. I clearly want to say I don't want all this. It has come out in the newspapers that she's challenging me," Mary Kom said after beating Nikhat to enter the 51kg final.

Mary Kom beat 22-year-old Nikhat, a gold medal winner at the Strandja Memorial in Bulgaria earlier this year, 4-1 in a split decision.

"First you prove inside the ring and then speak out (against me). She has won just one medal at the international level and such is her ego and attitude! They feel proud and satisfied. This is a very bad habit," the 36-year-old Mary Kom said.

"How many years I've competed for the country? And how many times I've proved? It's better to say in a mild way. They are so lucky fighting with me. They will get more experience," the London Olympics bronze medallist continued.

Mary Kom, however, said Nikhat's comments made her more determined.

"I was so surprised to read her comments in the newspaper. It's so irritating. How can they say all this. Yes, everyone has the right to say and anyone can challenge. But I'm also a human being. It causes a lot of disturbance. Never mind, it made me more determined to do well." 

Told that Nikhat considered her as her idol, May Kom said: "Why they challenge me then? Idol means you have to show respect, talk with respect." 

Mary Kom will face Vanlal Duati of Mizoram in the gold-medal bout on Friday.

All-Indian final in seven men's categories

In the men's section, 17 Indians stormed into the final in 10 weight categories.

Continuing his dream run, former world youth champion Sachin Siwach registered an upset win over reigning Commonwealth Games champion Gaurav Solanki in a unanimous decision to set up a 51kg gold medal clash against Asian Games gold medalist Amit Panghal.

A day after he eliminated World Championship bronze medalist Rogen Ladon in a well-calculated bout, the 20-year-old from Haryana had his task cut out against his sparring partner but he again emerged victorious.

Panghal, who had clinched a gold inhis new weight category in the Asian Championship, defeated national champion P L Prasad in the second 52kg semifinal. Panghal had won the Asian Games gold in Jakarta last year in 49kg.

"Amit has improved a lot of late but this is my big chance to show my prowess at a major competition. I hope to give my best and return winner," Siwach, who won a bronze at the GeeBee Boxing tournament in Finland in March, said.

Shiva Thapa also remained on course to clinching a gold at the same venue where he was crowned national champion three years ago as he fended off a strong challenge from his Polish opponent D Krystian Sczepanski to emerge 5-0 winner.

Sczepanski was at his aggressive best and kept hurling punches but Shiva cleverly kept frustrating his opponent by going out of his range.

"It made him tired at the end of every round. I was playing my style, did not give my 100 per cent. I was just trying to be tactical with him and let his punches go in the air and miss it so that he loses his control and confidence," Shiva said.

He will face Manish Kaushik in the 60kg final on Friday.

There was also a setback in store for India in the men's 75kg category, when Manjeet Panghal twisted his knee in the first round to be knocked out by his Filipino opponent Eumir Felix Delos Santosh.
Santosh will face Ashish Kumar in the final.

Former Asian champion Chatchai Decha Butdee of Thailand also created an upset in the men's 56kg by ousting former World Championship bronze medalist Gaurav Bidhuri in a unanimous decision. The Thai will take on Kavinder Singh Bisht in the final.

The 64kg category will also see a non-Indian in the final with Rohit Tokas taking on Colin Louis Richarno of Mauritius.