NEW DELHI: Jemyma Betrian looks like any regular 20-something girl. Upon closer inspection, one can spot a black left eye. For someone who has been hooked to fighting, it is not something new. Jemyma had got that scar during her bout against world champion Alessia Mesiano from Italy at the ongoing AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.
With that success, the featherweight (57 kg) pugilist from Netherlands ensured a medal for herself. Having taken out the big fish, she is determined to soldier on. “I feel good but I’m not done yet. It only makes me feel sharper because I have two more fights to go. I’m looking forward to my next fight,” she says.
Formerly into kickboxing (she is a five-time world champ), she knows what it takes to rise to the top. Her track record in kickboxing reads: 35 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw. Also known as The Golden Girl, the 27-year-old also tried her hand in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), recording two wins in two fights (both via knock-outs) before she was forced to stop because of injury.And now, here she is taking yet another shot at a World title, this time in boxing, a sport she took up seriously last year after a solid show at the national level.
“I got some injuries and I could not continue kickboxing. One year ago, I started boxing just to stay in shape and I’m here at the World Championships. I had not planned to get into boxing.”And the Nijmegen girl has made the transition look effortless. “When I was a kickboxer, my boxing was quite strong. It was one of my strengths. I could finish matches with that skill.” she explains.So how did it all begin for her? She reveals that after her parents parted ways when she was just a teenager, she had a rough time coping.
“I was surrounded by negativity. I started getting involved in street-fights. It was a rough phase,” she recalls.
That’s when her mother, whom she considers to be her hero, intervened and gave her a sense of direction. “My mother told me to be positive. A friend came to me and informed me about a new kickboxing training institute near our place.”Germany’s Ornella Wahner, Jemyma’s semifinal opponent, certainly has a mountain to climb on Friday.
Indians in action
Aiming for a record sixth World title, MC Mary Kom will face North Korea’s Kim Hyang Mi in the light fly (48 kg) semis on Thursday. Lovlina Borgohain (69 kg) will also be in action against Chinese Taipei’s Nien-Chin Chen. Simranjit Kaur (64 kg) and Sonia (57 kg) will be seen in action on Friday.
anmol@newindianexpress.com