Indian boxer Sarita Devi stood on the podium during the medal ceremony at the Seonhak Gymnasium, Wednesday, but didn’t bend down for the bronze medal. Instead, she took it and slipped it around South Korea’s silver medalist Park Jin-a’s neck. The Korean appeared too stunned to immediately react.
The abrupt refusal came as the Indian boxer lost a decion to Park in the semifinals of the women’s lightweight class on the previous day at the Seonhak Gymnasium.
“I felt that I should not accept the medal because I deserved to be in the finals,” Sarita said after exiting the arena. “I’m ready to face any repercussions. I did not feel like accepting the medal and so I didn’t.”
It was the latest in a series of controversies in which South Koreans’ achievements have been tainted with claims of a “home advantage” gone too far.
After the match, many questioned the judging, some calling it “dubious” and too much “in favor of the home boxers.”
The judges, none of whom were from Asia, scored the three-round bout by identical 39-37 margins.
When Park was announced as the winner, Sarita wept uncontrollably and her husband Thoiba Singh rushed to the judges’ bench and shouted, “You’ve killed boxing.” Full story...
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The abrupt refusal came as the Indian boxer lost a decion to Park in the semifinals of the women’s lightweight class on the previous day at the Seonhak Gymnasium.
“I felt that I should not accept the medal because I deserved to be in the finals,” Sarita said after exiting the arena. “I’m ready to face any repercussions. I did not feel like accepting the medal and so I didn’t.”
It was the latest in a series of controversies in which South Koreans’ achievements have been tainted with claims of a “home advantage” gone too far.
After the match, many questioned the judging, some calling it “dubious” and too much “in favor of the home boxers.”
The judges, none of whom were from Asia, scored the three-round bout by identical 39-37 margins.
When Park was announced as the winner, Sarita wept uncontrollably and her husband Thoiba Singh rushed to the judges’ bench and shouted, “You’ve killed boxing.” Full story...
Related posts:
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