Lovlina Borgohain is just 24 years of age and in her first-ever Olympic Games. On Friday (July 30), the young Assamese pugilist became just the second Indian woman boxer from India after the legendary MC Mary Kom to win an Olympic medal. The welterweight boxer defeated Chinese Taipei’s Nein-Chin Chen to storm into the semifinals and assure India at least a bronze from her category at the Tokyo Olympics.
Lovlina has enjoyed success since her foray and her journey into the contact sport is an intriguing affair. Following the footsteps of her twin sisters Licha and Lima, Lovlina first took up kickboxing. It was only when she met her first coach Padum Boro, her life took a definite turn. Boro, who worked at Sports Authority of India’s Shillong and Dimapur centers, introduced her to boxing and since then there has been no looking back for Lovlina.
From kickboxing to boxing for Lovlina
Having found her love in boxing, Lovlina was always on the lookout for an opportunity. And it came within a few months. SAI was holding the trials at Barpathar Girls High School, where she studied, and Lovlina showed her skills when she took part in the trials. That’s how Boro noticed her exceptional talent and started honing it from 2012.
Cut to 2018, the 20-year-old has represented India at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. She was selected for the prestigious event on the back of some brilliant performances in recent months — gold at India Open, bronze at Asian Championships in Vietnam and bronze at President’s Cup in Astana.
The boxer from Assam ensured a Bronze medal for herself in her maiden appearance at the World Championship which took place in India for the very first time in November, 2018. She also won a gold medal at the 3rd Elite Women’s Nationals in Vijayanagar.
In 2019, she won another bronze medal in the World Championships in Russia and in 2020, became the first Women boxer from Assam to qualify for Olympics. She also got the prestigious Arjuna Award last year.
Lovlina Borgohain Achievements:
2021:Bronze at Asian Championships, Dubai
2020: Bronze at Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifier, Jordan
2019: Bronze at World Championships, Russia
2019: Gold at Umakhanov Memorial International Boxing Tournament, Russia
2019: Silver at India Open, Guwahati
2019: 70th Strandja Elite Women Boxing Championships, Sofia, Bulgaria: Bronze
2019: 3rd Women’s National Championship, Vijaynagar: Gold
2018: 20th AIBA Women’s World Championship, Delhi: Bronze
2018: Ulaanbaatar Cup, International Boxing Championship, Mongolia: Silver
2018: Indian Women’s Senior National Championships, Rohtak: Silver
2018: Indian Open Boxing Tournament, New Delhi: Gold
2017: President’s Cup tournament in Astana: Bronze
2017: Asian Boxing Championships, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Bronze
2015: Nations Women’s Youth Cup (Subotica, Serbia): Silver
2014: Golden Gloves of Vojvodina Youth Memorial Tournament (Subotica, Serbia): Bronze
2014: Nations Women’s Youth Cup (Vrbas, Serbia): Bronze
2013: Nations Women’s Junior Cup (Zrenjanin, Serbia): Silver
2012: Indian Women’s Junior National Championships: Gold
The youngster, who was laid low by COVID-19 last year and missed a training trip to Europe because of it, let out a huge scream after the referee raised her hand, pent up emotions finally getting the better of her.
India’s previous boxing medals have come through Vijender Singh (2008) and M C Mary Kom (2012). Both of them had won bronze medals and Borgohain would look to better that.
