Mary Kom beats Rahali, assures India of bronze

MC Mary Kom assured herself of a bronze medal as she stormed into the semifinal of the Olympics after beating Tunisia’s Maroua Rahali 15-6. In contact sport, both the semifinalists are awarded a bronze medal, and with this victory, she will at least add one more medal to India’s tally and could even compete for gold if she beats Team GB’s Nicola Adams in the semis. The boxer displayed a perfect balance of technique and temperament, holding patiently before she found the gaps between her opponent’s gloves. [caption id=“attachment_407710” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mary Kom took a close first round 2-1, before winning the 2nd round 3-2 and opening up a 5-3 lead in the match. AP[/caption] Mary Kom took a close first round 2-1, before winning the 2nd round 3-2 and opening up a 5-3 lead in the match. Rahali was tired of throwing punches at Mary Kom— who frustrated her with her quick ducks and rapid defence. The gaps opened up a bit more and Mary took full advantage of the occasion to win the 3rd round 6-1. There was no looking back after that and the match ended 15-6 in the Indian boxer’s favour after she won the final round 4-2. In the next round, Mary Kom faces favourite and Team GB’s Nicola Adams, who incidentally beat her at the World Championships in May 2012. The match is scheduled for 6.15 PM IST on August 8.