A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
Five-time world champion M C Mary Kom and Asian Games bronze-medallist L Sarita Devi failed to qualify for the Olympics after they went down in their respective second round bouts of the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Saturday.
After lending strong support to her cause, Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar met Commonwealth Games silver-medallist woman boxer L Sarita Devi, who is serving a one-year ban for her emotionally-charged protest at the Asiad.
Sarita was mostly asymptomatic for the duration of her illness, experiencing only mild fever for a day along with a blocked nose.
Banned from competition for a year, Asian Games bronze medallist L Sarita Devi said she would utilise the period by taking corrective measures in her technique so that she can be ready for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Requesting the International Boxing Association to revoke the provisional suspension on L Sarita Devi, Boxing India President Sandeep Jajodia said her unconditional apology and her impeccable past disciplinary record would form the crux of her defence in front of the world body.
India bagged as many as 21 medals at the Spanish Para Badminton International in Cartagena, Spain.
Five-time world champion Mary Kom, who got a direct entry into the 48kg category semi-finals due to the small size of the draw, defeated Ukraine's Hanna Okhota in the semi-finals to be assured of at least a silver.
Olympic medalist MC Mary Kom, L Sarita Devi and Aruna Mishra, among others, booked their place in the final round of the South Asian Games in Shillong on Thursday. Kom overcame a spirited Nikhit Zareen, while Sarita Devi passed the Meena Kumari test. Meanwhile, Mishra emerged winner in a bout which had to be decided on the basis of two rounds after power failure in the NEHU, SAI Special Area Games venue disrupted the game. Others who made the cut are Sarjubala Devi, Soniya and Pooja Rani. Earlier, the famed MC Mary Kom was forced to come out of her comfort zone by the versatile Nikhit Zareen, who started on an impressive note.
L Sarita Devi (64kg) and Sonia Lather (57kg) advanced to the semifinals and assured themselves of medals at the Asian women's Boxing Championships.
The celebrated MC Mary Kom needs to win just one bout to secure herself a medal, while Vikas Krishan got a bye into the men's pre-quarterfinals as Indian boxers were handed reasonably good draws in the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast on Tuesday.
Rookie Manisha outclasses two-time bronze medallist Christina Cruz
Boxer Sarita Devi finally received her Asian Games bronze medal which she had refused at the victory ceremony in Incheon under controversial circumstances with the Indian Olympic Association Secretary General Rajeev Mehta presenting it to her in New Delhi.
The Indian boxers' campaign in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers was off to a disappointing start with all three in action, on Saturday, including former Commonwealth Games champion Manoj Kumar (64kg), bowing out with opening round losses in Qian'an, China.
Seeking to distance itself from the controversy surrounding L Sarita Devi's semi-final loss at the Asian Games, recently-elected Boxing India (BI) President Sandeep Jajodia said the matter is for the IOA to resolve with world governing body, AIBA.
Paralympic gold-winners Avani Lekhara, Sumit Antil, Pramod Bhagat, Krishna Nagar, Manish Narwal were also given the Khel Ratna at a dazzling awards ceremony on Saturday.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
MC Mary Kom began her campaign in style by outpunching Sweden's Juliana Soderstrom in her opening bout of the AIBA World Women's Boxing Championships in Astana.
Former Sports Minister Ajay Maken termed AIBA's decision to suspend Indian woman boxer L Sarita Devi for refusing to accept bronze medal at the Asian Games podium ceremony as "unfortunate" and asked the Centre to take up the matter at the highest international level.
Indian pugilists ended their campaign at the 17th Asian Games with five medals as Vikas Krishan and Satish Kumar settled for bronze medals after losing their semi-final bouts against respective opponents.
It turned out to be a largely disappointing day for Indian boxers at the Asian Games with former World Championship bronze-medallist Vikas Krishan (75kg) being the only one to advance, making the quarter-final, while three others fell by the wayside.
Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom set her Asian Games campaign rolling in style as she out-punched Korea's Kim Yeji to enter the quarter-finals along with two other Indian women boxers in Incheon on Saturday.
Thirteen of the country's boxers -- seven men and six women -- are assured of at least bronze medals after advancing to the last-four stage of the marquee continental championship.
Sarita, Nikhat also enter semis
Asian Games bronze medallist Pooja Rani (75kg) entered the pre-quarter-finals in the AIBA World Women's Boxing Championships with a hard-fought victory over Ukraine's Mariya Borutsa, in Astana, on Friday.
Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom (51kg) and World Championship bronze-winner Shiva Thapa (56kg) were given the top billing in the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament draw held in Qian'an, China on Friday.
Sachin Tendulkar said the whole idea behind his writing a letter to world boxing body AIBA was to save woman boxer L Sarita Devi's career from ending abruptly after the Asian Games controversy in Incheon.
Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar discussed the way forward for L Sarita Devi with Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday and urged the entire country to support the woman boxer who is facing a possible life ban from the International Boxing Association for refusing her bronze medal at the Incheon Asian Games.
Taking a strict action, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) has provisionally suspended India's woman boxer Laishram Sarita Devi for refusing to accept the bronze medal at the Asian Games podium ceremony.
All but written off after a string of injuries wrecked havoc on his career four years ago, enigmatic boxer Akhil Kumar staged a remarkable comeback to make the 10-member Indian men's team for the Asian Games, in Incheon, South Korea.
Five-time world champion Mary Kom, returning to the ring after recovering from some niggles that kept her out of the Asian Games, prevailed 5-0 against Kazakhstan's Aigerim Kassanayeva to pick up India's lone senior category gold at the event on Saturday.
Boxer L Sarita Devi thanked Sachin Tendulkar, Boxing India and Sports Authority of India for supporting her.
The 36-year-old Manipuri has been an ambassador of the sport not just in India but also the world over
India's boxer L Sarita Devi's career could be finished after her 'unacceptable' behaviour at the Incheon Asian Games where the fighter refused to accept her bronze medal on the podium, the president of the governing AIBA said on Wednesday.
India's premier boxer legend Sarita Laishram Devi has started an endeavour to train young talents from her state of Manipur, with many budding boxers undergoing training at Sarita's boxing academy.
M C Mary Kom struck gold in the women's competition but India's men were denied a complete sweep by traditional powerhouses Cuba and Uzbekistan on an exciting final day of the India Open boxing tournament, in Delhi, on Thursday.
A tough road awaits veteran L Sarita Devi and rookie Manisha Moun as they open India's campaign at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships, in New Delhi, on Friday.
M C Mary Kom and Pooja Rani knocked out their respective opponents while L Sarita Devi survived a scare as India grabbed all the three gold medals on offer in women's boxing for an overall clean-sweep of top honours in the 12th South Asian Games in Shillong on Tuesday.
M C Mary Kom pulled no punches as she lambasted critics and challengers after securing her second Olympic appearance. Her reference was to the selection controversy that preceded the qualifiers when former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen sought Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju's intervention while demanding a trial bout against the Manipuri. The ill-tempered and hyped trial bout was won by Mary Kom.
Indian boxing got the first glimpse of Dingko's talent at the 1989 sub-junior nationals in Ambala where he became a champion as a 10-year-old.
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