Meet Nicola Adams, the fighter between Mary Kom and the Olympic final

New Delhi - India's Mary Kom will fight world number 2 Nicola Adams today for a right to advance into the final round of the 51kg boxing in the London Olympics. While the 29-year-old is assured of bringing back a Bronze at the least, she can also gain clear shot at a Silver or a Gold. The Briton though will not make it easy for her.

Home support was credited for the strong showing of Indian boxers during the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games. The same would be working in favour of Adams when she takes guard against Mary.

She fought Stoyka Petrova of Bulgaria minutes after Mary Kom completed her quarterfinal match against Maroua Rahali of Tunisia, on Monday. At 29, the same age as Mary Kom, Adams showed the same intensity and determination that she did when she first fought and won a bout at age 13.

A seasoned campaigner who has several medals in the world and European amateur championships, it is also Adams' first shot at an Olympic medal. The
will to get a shot at Gold will be as much in her as will be with Mary Kom.

While Mary Kom (5 feet 2 inches) has fought off opponents taller and broader than her before, she will now face Adams who, at 5 feet 4 and a half inches is just a little taller than her. What will matter though is not the appearance but the strategy that both fighters bring to their bout.