Shiva qualifies for Rio Games, heartbreak for Mary Kom
Source: The Sangai Express / PTI

Qian'an, March 31 2016: World Championships bronze- medallist Shiva Thapa (56kg) on Thursday became the first Indian boxer to make the cut for this year's Olympics by entering the Asian Qualifying Tournament's final but the celebrated M C Mary Kom (51kg) failed to book her Rio Games ticket after losing in the last-four stage here.

Shiva, given the top seed- ing in his weight category, lived upto the billing as he sailed past 2013 World Championship bronze-medal- list Kairat Yeraliyev of Kazakhstan in the semifinal.

He will face second seed Chatchai Butdee of Thailand in the final on Friday.

With today's victory, the 22-year-old Indian is set for his second Olympic appear- ance, four years after he became the youngest boxer to qualify for the multi-sporting extravaganza.

"I want to thank god for having managed to achieve this.

I was very worked up about this bout, it was the most important bout for me.

So I am totally exhausted and relieved at the same time," Shiva told PTI.

"I have very little time at hand for rest and recovery as the final bout is tomorrow itself.

So, it's slowly sinking in.

I can't thank enough my coaches and all those who supported me in this journey.

I hope to come good on ex- pectations this time by winning an Olympic medal," he said.

However, it was heart- break for another top seed, Mary Kom, who went down to old foe Ren Cancan of China in the semifinals, which will only translate into a bronze medal for her.

In the women's category, only the gold and silver medal win- ners from this tournament will qualify for Rio Olympics.

The five-time world cham- pion and London Olympics bronze-medallist, however, has another chance of quali- fying for the Rio Games during the World Champion- ships in May.

Another Indian in fray in the men's draw was Com- monwealth Games silver-medallist and fourth seed L Devendro Singh (49kg) but he lost to top seed Rogen Ladon of Philippines in the semifinals.

Assured of a bronze medal, Devendro will now fight it out for an Olympic quota place by taking on Mongolia's third-seeded Gan- Erdene Gankhuyag tomorrow.

National coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu was effusive in his praise for Shiva, while also lauding the effort of other boxers.

"It was a very sensible, very planned, and very ag- gressive performance.

His opponent was actually run- ning around to save himself.

It was a class performance and one of the best bouts of the day," Sandhu said.

"Shiva has matured tre- mendously and this was evident in his performance so far," he added.

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