Aparri loses to world champion, settles for bronze
LIGHT FLYWEIGHT Alice Kate Appari lost to four-time world champion Mary Kom of India, 8-1, in the semifinals of the 6th World Women’s Boxing Championships at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Aparri settled for the bronze medal.
The score did not reflect the competitive stance put up by Aparri, who had previously lost to the Indian mother of two from Maipur in their only face-off in 2004. With the win, Kom remained a firm favorite for a historic fifth successive gold medal.
Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines executive director Ed Picson told the Inquirer that Kom was “a very wily fighter who was hard to hit while she was also very aggressive and really a top class boxer.”
Before the bout against the Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Aparri, Kom said “I know this girl. I beat her in 2004 and hopefully even this time I would win. I will try my best. I have my fingers crossed for a fifth consecutive gold.”
Kom set up the clash with Aparri by beating Lynsey Holloway of Wales, 9-2, in the quarterfinals. Kom held a slim 2-1 margin at the end of the first round of that match and built on it in the next two rounds to lead 6-2 before she launched an all-out attack to clinch the victory. Aparri, for her part, scored an impressive 8-2 victory over “Road to Barbados” training camp star Anusha Kodithuwakku of Sri Lanka. Kodithuwakku edged Luo Jiaoling of the powerhouse China squad, 7-5. Aparri began her quest for a medal with a smashing 13-1 win over an outclassed Demante Sipaviciute of Lithuania and followed up by turning back European champion Svetlana Gnevanova of Russia, 8-3, in the round of sixteen in what was considered one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. Bantamweight Nesthy Petecio put up a gallant stand before bowing to another rugged Russian in Elena Savelyeva, 12-3. Multititled Annie Albania proved to be a disappointment when she led 4-2 at the end of the second round against the experienced Sumeyra Yazici of Turkey but began to showboat and eventually lost, 7-4.
The score did not reflect the competitive stance put up by Aparri, who had previously lost to the Indian mother of two from Maipur in their only face-off in 2004. With the win, Kom remained a firm favorite for a historic fifth successive gold medal.
Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines executive director Ed Picson told the Inquirer that Kom was “a very wily fighter who was hard to hit while she was also very aggressive and really a top class boxer.”
Before the bout against the Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Aparri, Kom said “I know this girl. I beat her in 2004 and hopefully even this time I would win. I will try my best. I have my fingers crossed for a fifth consecutive gold.”
Kom set up the clash with Aparri by beating Lynsey Holloway of Wales, 9-2, in the quarterfinals. Kom held a slim 2-1 margin at the end of the first round of that match and built on it in the next two rounds to lead 6-2 before she launched an all-out attack to clinch the victory. Aparri, for her part, scored an impressive 8-2 victory over “Road to Barbados” training camp star Anusha Kodithuwakku of Sri Lanka. Kodithuwakku edged Luo Jiaoling of the powerhouse China squad, 7-5. Aparri began her quest for a medal with a smashing 13-1 win over an outclassed Demante Sipaviciute of Lithuania and followed up by turning back European champion Svetlana Gnevanova of Russia, 8-3, in the round of sixteen in what was considered one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. Bantamweight Nesthy Petecio put up a gallant stand before bowing to another rugged Russian in Elena Savelyeva, 12-3. Multititled Annie Albania proved to be a disappointment when she led 4-2 at the end of the second round against the experienced Sumeyra Yazici of Turkey but began to showboat and eventually lost, 7-4.
EDITORS' PICK
