AIBA C'ship: Mary Kom Progresses to Quarterfinals

New Delhi [India], Nov 18 (ANI): Five-time world champion Mary Kom on Sunday put up an exemplary display of her trademark winner character as she registered a unanimous 5:0 win over Kazakhstan's Aigerim Kassenayeva to progress to the quarter-finals of the 10th AIBA Women's World Championship.

As the 35-year-old gets a step closer to her sixth gold, Kom told ANI, "Anything can happen in the ring. I try to do my best especially because we are holding this event." "However, there is a lot of pressure on my mind. People are expecting that I must win this championship," she added.

Kom, who continues to inspire young girls, also expressed gratitude to her fans, said, "It feels wonderful to see so many fans cheering for us. It's a great inspiration as we get energized."

The Indian boxer will next take on her 23-year-old Chinese counterpart Yu Wu in the 48 kg category on November 20. Talking about her next bout Kom said, "She is very intelligent and smart. I will try to handle it and do my best."

Meanwhile, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president Ajay Singh also thanked the home crowd as it provides a psychological advantage to the boxers.

Reflecting on the performances of the rookies, he said, "It's wonderful to see how our boxers are boxing. We have won all the nine bouts including some incredibly tough fights so far."

"A lot of hard work has been put behind it by our players and coaches, however, I must emphasize that this is just the start as we have a long way to go," he added.

Apart from Mary Kom, Manisha Maun defeated reigning world champion Dina Zholman of Kazakhstan in the preliminary round earlier Sunday. (ANI)

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