The 20-year old female boxer unexpectedly fought confidently against Pavitra, the gold medalist at the 16th Indian Boxing National Championship in 2015.
Hasanah`s victory ensured a bronze medal in boxing.
The achievement in the semifinals is the best result showcased by Indonesian women boxers in the history of the Asian Games.
In the three-round match, Hasanah was initially depressed in the first round. She often had trouble blocking the jabs and straight punches from Pavitra. On the contrary, Hasanah`s blows were powerless and less directed.
Pavitra managed to steal the points several times, but the situation turned around when Hasanah became very confident in the second round. Her swing made Pavitra maintain a distance to widen the range.
The double cover of Hasanah was followed by a deadly counterattack. The game turned tight in the third round. The audience remained tensed until the end of the round.
After the match, Hasanah revealed that she was indeed relying on counterattacks to open Pavitra`s defense and make a clean blow.
Her self-confidence increased after hundreds of Indonesian supporters who were present at Hall C of JIEXPO Kemayoran constantly cheered up to support her.
Of the five judges in the match, three judges supported Huswatun, while the rest judged Pavitra to be superior. Huswatun scored a new history by winning 3-2.
Reporting by Indra Arief Pribadi
Editing by Otniel Tamindael
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
