Mary Kom, three others in Asian Indoor Games finals

Four-time world champion MC Mary Kom led the charge as three Indian woman boxers advanced to the finals with contrasting wins in the third Asian Indoor Games in Hanoi on Monday.

Khel Ratna awardee Mary Kom defeated Josie Gabuco of Philippines in the 46kg semi-finals. The Indian took a narrow 2-1 lead in the opening round and it remained that way until the third round when she extended it to 6-2 before making it 7-3 in the final round.

She will take on Hoa Nguyi Thi of Vietnam in the final on November 4. Arjuna awardee L Sarita Devi (54kg) and N Usha (57kg) were the other two Indians who made it to the final of their respective categories.

Sarita Devi dominated her bout to annihilate Vietnam's Lien Doan Thi 25-3. She now meets Qin Zhang of China in the final.

Usha, however, survived a scare against local hope Chung Ngo Thi. Usha was 1-1 with Thi at the end of the third round after failing to score a single point in the first two rounds.

She took a slender 3-2 lead in the beginning of the fourth round and hung on to it to scrape past her gritty rival. Usha meets Peamwilai Laopeam of Thailand in the final.

However, in the 51kg category, Chhoto Laura was outpunched 0-6 by World Championship silver medalist Annie Albania of Phillippines.