Indians get into the winning groove

8220;I was confident I could win this bout. My side steps were working really well, particularly on the right,8221; said Kalpana of her 48 kg category bout.

Buoyed by Kalpana8217;s heroics, those at the stadium raised the decibel level of their cheers when N Usha took to the ring, and this was noticed by the girl from Andhra Pradesh as well.

8220;Hearing them all make so much noise really filled me with a lot of enthusiasm, and I was determined to put in my best. I started slow 8211; I was trailing in the first round 8211; but that8217;s usually how I begin. It takes me some time to get used to my opponent8217;s strategy, and I haven8217;t played her before,8221; was what Usha had to say after her 20-14 victory over Canadian Sandra Bizier in the 57 kg category.

Incidentally, Usha8217;s mother and sister were watching from the sidelines 8211; their trip to the Capital certainly proving to be worthwhile, as Bizier8217;s uppercuts were no match for the Indian8217;s left and right-hooks.

The Indian voices did not die down through the rest of the afternoon, but the remaining cheers were for a losing cause. S Ibomcha Devi 60kg and Jyotsna 86kg did not enjoy the success of their compatriots, losing to Lucie Bertaud and Semsi Yarali world No 3 respectively.

Before the championships, along with the Russians, it was the North Koreans who were predicted to be contenders to one of those to watch out for, and it was DPR Korea8217;s Ri Jong Hyang who knocked out world champion Olesya Gladkova in the 48 kg category, 16-10.

This was a rematch of last year8217;s final. In another unexpected result, Valeria Calabrese, ranked third in the world, lost to Rina Na of China 16-25.