India's Devi refuses Asian Games boxing medal

[Jman888]

India's Devi refuses Asian Games boxing medal

AFP – 20 hours ago

Sarita Devi (right) cries after she refused to accept a boxing bronze medal at the Asian Games in Incheon on October 1, 2014

Incheon (South Korea) (AFP) - Celebrated Indian women's boxer Mary Kom won her first Asian Games gold Wednesday but a team-mate sensationally refused to accept her bronze medal in a bruising row over judging standards.

Five-time world champion Kom, 31, won a hard-fought split decision against Kazakhstan's Zhaina Shekerbekova to be crowned flyweight champion.

But Sarita Devi drew attention after she refused her lightweight bronze medal and then hung it around the neck of the South Korean she controversially lost to in the semi-finals.

Devi's highly contentious defeat to Park Ji-Na on Tuesday, after the Indian dominated the semi-final, caused chaotic scenes with her husband scuffling with security and launching an expletives-laden tirade.

On Wednesday, Devi burst into tears as she walked to the podium with her arms folded and her head down.

As she was presented with the bronze a still sobbing and wailing Devi held up her hands and said she would not accept it. Twice officials tried to put it round her neck but she would not comply.

After the other medals had been awarded, Devi stepped off the podium, took the bronze from the official and went to shake silver medallist Park's hand.

Devi then put the bronze round the bemused fighter's neck before breaking into a smile and turning to wave to Indian supporters in the crowd amid cries of "Well done Sarita!" and "That's how to show them, Sarita".

"I said, 'This is for you and all Korea, because you only deserve a bronze,'" a smiling Devi told AFP afterwards.

"Once I put the medal round her neck I felt a great relief. I didn't want the medal. I'm happy now.

"It was a protest for all the sportsmen and women of the world against injustice in sport. There should be fair play in sport."

A bewildered Park said she was confused and didn't know what was happening. "She told me something, but I couldn?t understand," Park told AFP.

"Devi hung her medal on me. I tried to give the medal back to her, but she didn?t want it.

"I wasn?t sure what to do, so someone told me to leave it on the podium."

A spokesman told AFP that Incheon Asian Games Organising Committee members present had been "offended" by Devi's gesture and had to send a volunteer to retrieve the abandoned medal after the presentation party departed.

"If she wanted to refuse the medal she should have not come to the ceremony," he said.

Yin Junhua of China beat Park on points a few minutes earlier to take the lightweight gold.

The ceremony stole the focus from Kom's achievement in winning the Asian Games flyweight gold in the day's first final after only taking bronze in 2010 and at the 2012 Olympics.

Kom, the subject of Bollywood biopic "Unbreakable", had a tough battle against the fast Shekerbekova, but just did enough in the final two rounds to win on a split decision.

The women's middleweight gold was won by North Korea's Jang Un-Hui who took a split decision against China's Li Qian after a slugfest that could have gone either way.

India's Rani Pooja and Marina Volnova of Kazakhstan won the bronze medals. Pooja accepted her medal without incident.

 

 

What do you think of her action?

 

The actual match, can see that Devi had more punches than the korean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO-nATNUkwQ

The prize giving ceremony.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFCM6RfjLUY

[Joseph22]

I heard before that the point system isn't about number of punch gone through.. But type of punch gone through too and each punch is awarded different point... So maybe that's why she lost.

[Vid]

A lot of sports also have contentious decisions. Just part of the game. If without sportsmanship, might as well not participate.

[Myxilplix]

Wahlanz what a bulls**t decision, she kicked the Korean's ass in that match and had her clinching from the first round onwards. Her counterpunching sibeh ho.

 

REFEREE KELONG!!

[Steptronic]

Brave act! Salute!!

[Celicar]

Not saying who is right or wrong, but athletes sacrifice a lot for their sports, all you want is what you think is a just outcome, lose also lose fair and square. It is easy to talk about sportsmanship when it is just a conversation topic, when you sacrifice years of your life in pursuit of sporting excellence and it is robbed from you (not saying it did or didn't happen in this case), emotions can run very high. If we expect fairness and justice in our everyday dealings (eg. getting deprived unfairly of a parking lot, your kid getting treated equally in class, etc), why can't athletes expect the same?

[Jman888]

the sad thing was she has to borrow $100 to make up the $500 to register a protest against the result, but the federation and official never bother to come forward.

[Joseph22]

Wahlanz what a bulls**t decision, she kicked the Korean's ass in that match and had her clinching from the first round onwards. Her counterpunching sibeh ho.

 

REFEREE KELONG!!

Kick butt but seems like a lot of punches are not boxing punch hence point not awarded??

[Mustank]

Wahlanz what a bulls**t decision, she kicked the Korean's ass in that match and had her clinching from the first round onwards. Her counterpunching sibeh ho.

 

REFEREE KELONG!!

 

keolong!!! kelong!!!!

boxing is dangerous sport

should get robot to do the sport instead

[Myxilplix]

Kick butt but seems like a lot of punches are not boxing punch hence point not awarded??

 

Not boxing punch then is call what punch?

[Ryu]

My opinion is that if a professional athlete cannot accept the referee's decision (no matter how biased or unjust or unfair) then he/she is not showing enough professionalism.

 

In sports every now and then, teams or individuals are "robbed" of their winnings by bad refereeing or dubious decisions. True professionals will just suck it up, work harder and come back to win more convincingly. Respect.

[Jman888]

 

keolong!!! kelong!!!!

boxing is dangerous sport

should get robot to do the sport instead

 

 

[Joseph22]

 

Not boxing punch then is call what punch?

I also don't know. I saw ref gesture that points not allow and that hammer not allow.

 

Plus I don't think its the number of punch that connect that count. But the degree of punch and where and how that the points are awarded???

 

Machiam like attacking team that cannot score the crucial goal and let In a counter attack.

 

I not boxer and don't like boxing so I can only speculate .😂

[Jman888]

My opinion is that if a professional athlete cannot accept the referee's decision (no matter how biased or unjust or unfair) then he/she is not showing enough professionalism.

 

In sports every now and then, teams or individuals are "robbed" of their winnings by bad refereeing or dubious decisions. True professionals will just suck it up, work harder and come back to win more convincingly. Respect.

 

 

i am not sure she is doing this to protest the judge or to protest her own country, probably want the country to be humiliated too

[Mustank]

 

 

 

the movie so nice, i bought the bluray

very nice

[Gizmore]

I don't have to watch the whole fight to see that Devi was clearly the better fighter.

 

Not that first time such biased decisions has gone in favour for Koreans.

[Mustank]

 

 

i am not sure she is doing this to protest the judge or to protest her own country, probably want the country to be humiliated too

 

at least beat the sing the wrong borat anthem

[Sosaria]

It's always like that in sports with "subjective" judgement like gymnastics, or diving, or in this case, boxing. The host country will get some advantage - sometimes even blatantly.

 

Athletes should already know this right from the start, if they are facing opponent from host country. In order to win, their performance must really dominate the host country's athlete, until there's no doubt about the outcome. In boxing, the 100% sure way of winning is to knock the other fellow out cold.