Should she go on to win the final, the Indian would be wining her first gold Asian gold medal in the 48kg category. (Source: File) Should she go on to win the final, the Indian would be wining her first gold Asian gold medal in the 48kg category. (Source: File)

MC Mary Kom remains on course to win a fifth gold medal in the Asian Boxing Championships as she beat Japan’s Tsubasa Komura on Tuesday. Mary Kom, who is a five-time world champion, won by a unanimous 5-0 verdict to make the summit clash for the fifth time in only six appearances in the tournament. Although this will be her fifth gold overall if she wins it, she will be winning her first in the 48kg category.

Although 48 kg has been her preferred weight category, Mary Kom has been competing in the 51 kg category fir the past five years.

The semi-final bout was fought largely on defensive tactics. The Japanese boxer seemed too wary to go near the Indian, who had to quite literally lunge at Komura for her right hooks to connect. Mary Kom’s patience with Komura’s tactics ran out in the second round and she increased the pace and ferocity of her own attacks to unsettle the Japanese.

The shell guard to stave off Komura’s feeble right straights ensured that the Manipuri hardly took any blow in what turned out to be a lopsided contest.

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