AIBA C'ship: Sonia Chahal breezes to finals, aim for gold

Haryana boxer Sonia Chahal defeated Jo Son Hwa of North Korea to enter the finals of the 10th International Boxing Association (AIBA) Women's World Championships at the KD Jhadav Hall here on Friday.

In the 57 kg (featherweight) category, 21-year-old Sonia was declared the winner by a unanimous 5:0 decision, becoming the second Indian to enter the finals of the prestigious championships after Manipur veteran and five-time world champion Mary Kom.

Unable to believe her achievement, Sonia told reporters: "I can't believe myself that I have reached the finals. I never thought I'll be able to reach this level."

Having conceded the first round, Sonia made a comeback in the second to make it all square. As the game progressed in the third round, the young boxer recalled: "My coach told me if I play aggressively only then I can win the bout. My destiny and hard-work are paying off. I am confident that I'll take the gold."

The Indian pugilist will next face Ornella Gabriele Wahner of Germany in the final on November 24.

Talking about the finals, Sonia said: "The finals bout will be tough. She (Wahner) is a hard-hitter but no matter what, I'll give my 100 per cent."

Meanwhile, Mary Kom on Thursday registered a convincing 5:0 win against her North Korean opponent Mi Hyang Kim to enter the finals.

The Manipur boxer, who is only a step away from clinching her sixth gold, will face Hanna Okhota of Ukraine in the finals of 48 kg (light flyweight) category.