Most of the fancied finalists – including Meenakumari Devi and Lovlina Borgohain – won gold medals in the last day of the JSW Sports 3rd Elite Women’s National Boxing Championships.
Only upset in the Championship was of the Haryana boxer, Manisha Moun (quarter-finalist at world championships), who lost to Meenakumari of All India Police (AIP) in 54 kg class.
Haryana won just three gold medals – Pinki Rani Jangra (51 kg), Neeraj (60 kg) and Pooja Rani (81 kg) – despite six of their boxers entering the final. Manisha apart, Shashi Chopra (57 kg) and Nupur (75 kg) also lost their bouts to clinch silver medals.
Railways also won three gold medals as Sonia Lather (57 kg), Neetu (75 kg) and Seema Poonia (+81 kg) won their final bouts. Punjab got two through Manju Rani (48 kg) and Simranjit Kaur while the other gold in 69 kg went to World Championships medalist, Lovlina Borgohain of Assam.
Manju Rani bested Tamil Nadu’s S Kalaivani with a split (4:1) verdict. Manju dominated the first two rounds and Kalaivani, despite a resurgent final round, lost because of that.
In the 58 kg Fly weight category, Pinki – the favourite for the gold – struggled after the start against Nikhat Zareen. But the former steadied herself and won the bout 3:2.
Railways’ Neetu defeated Haryana’s Nupur in the 75 kg middleweight category and Seema Poonia get the better of Kavita Chahal of AIP in +81 kg.
Experienced pugilist Sonia Lather won an easy bout 5:0 against Shashi, who looked subdued.
Others who won their bouts on points (5:0) included Neeraj of Haryana, who beat Preeti Beniwal of AIP; Simranjit Kaur, the silver medal winner at the worlds, who beat Pwilao Basumatary of AIP and Lovlina Borgohain, also a medal winner at the New Delhi worlds, who beat Railways’ Pooja.