Bridgetown (Barbados), Sep 10 (IANS) Four-time World Champion India’s M.C. Mary Kom sounded a warning to her rivals with a 10-1 thrashing of Lungo Vesenne Natalie of Sweden in the first round of the 48-kg category in the World Women’s Boxing Championship at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium here.
In the 54-kg weight category, Priyanka Chaudhary fought extremely well but lost to the more experienced Asian Champion Zhang Qin of China 6-10.
Mary Kom, who narrowly beat Natalie in an exhibition bout in Sweden last year, measured her opponent in the first round Thursday, leading 2-0.
She came into her own in the second round when she let loose a flurry of punches to lead 6-0 even as Natalie faded away.
The Indian continued her domination, consolidating her lead to 8-0 after the third round and finished off 10-1 after the fourth and last round.
Mary Kom, 27, will next take on Australian Jenny Smith in the pre-quarter finals Saturday.
Mary Kom, a mother of two, is competing in the light fly weight (48-kg) category after winning all the four previous world titles in the 46-kg division.
She came back from a two-year sabbatical to clinch her fourth successive world title in 2008 in Ningbo City, China.
Before that she won her first world title in 2002 in Antalya, Turkey and went on to successfully defend her 46-kg gold medal in the next two editions in Podolsk, Russia and at New Delhi.
Sarita Devi will take on Kuleshova Alexandra of Russia in the 51-kg Saturday while in the 64-kg category Pratibha Jakhar will face Jackson Cashmere of USA.
In the 69-kg, Kavita Goyat will fight Strohmayer Andrea of Germany while Ashwathy Mol is pitted against Russian Sagaydakovskaya Inna in the 75-kg category.
–Indo-Asian News service
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