Mary Kom to take on Zareen today

Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom and Nikhat Zareen stayedon course for a showdown and a ticket to the Olympic Qualifiers, winning theirrespective bouts during the selection trials at the Indira Gandhi IndoorStadium on Friday.

MC Mary Kom and Nikhat Zareenwill clash in the 51kg category finals of the women's boxing trials for nextyear's Olympic Qualifiers after claiming unanimous victories in theirrespective first-round bouts on Friday.

Former junior world championZareen defeated reigning national champion Jyoti Gulia while multiple-timeAsian champion Mary Kom got the better of Ritu Grewal. The two-day competitionwill end on Saturday.

The Olympic qualifiers arescheduled to be held in China in February next year.

Zareen had kicked up a storm afew weeks ago by demanding a trial against iconic six-time world champion MaryKom after the Boxing Federation of India's flip-flop on the selection policyfor the Olympic Qualifiers.

Mary Kom had maintained that shewould abide by the selection policy laid down by the BFI, which ultimatelydecided to have trials.

This was after BFI President AjaySingh triggered the storm by announcing at a felicitation ceremony that MaryKom would be selected for the Olympic qualifiers without any trial due to herconsistent international performances.

An irate Zareen then demanded a"fair chance" against the celebrated Manipuri, who is also a RajyaSabha member.