Lovlina BORGOHAIN

While Mary Kom scripted history by winning a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics, Lovlina Borgohain was just starting her journey into the world of boxing. But just nine years on, Lovlina emulated Mary’s feat at Tokyo 2020.

Following the trials, Lovlina moved to the SAI centre in Guwahati for better training and the results followed.

As a 16-year-old, Lovlina won the junior national championship in 2012 and was soon making waves internationally, starting with the silver medal at the 2013 Nation’s Women’s Junior Cup in Serbia.

Courtesy of being tall from a young age, Lovlina Borgohain was used to fighting in higher weight divisions. So even after she moved from the 70kg to 75kg category, her exploits in the ring continued.

She had a medal finish at the 2014 Nation’s Women’s Youth Cup and followed it up with a silver at the next edition.

After winning laurels in the junior circuit, Lovlina Borgohain switched back to the welterweight class (69kg) in the senior level.

Lovlina Borgohain announced her arrival on the senior circuit by winning the bronze medal on her Asian championships debut in 2017. However, a big breakthrough in her career came the year after.

Following the gold at the India Open, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) chose Lovlina Borgohain to represent India in the welterweight division at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

Although Lovlina lost to eventual gold medallist Sandy Ryan of England in the quarter-finals, it taught the Indian boxer about the importance of mental preparation in the sport.

“I had prepared very well, be it technique or fitness, going into that event. And when I lost, it was mentally draining for me,” admitted Lovlina Borgohain.

“I took to meditation to improve my psyche and it also helped me strategize in between bouts. I started performing better after that.”

The approach helped Lovlina pick up a bronze on her world championship debut in 2018. She beat former world silver medallist Kaye Scott of Australia in the quarters to confirm a medal.

However, an ankle injury proved to be a hindrance in the semi-final as she lost to Chen Nien-chin of Chinese Taipei.

Then, in 2019, Lovlina stamped her authority as the best female Indian boxer in her division by winning gold at the national championship.

Betting on her winning run, the BFI handed Lovlina a direct entry to the world championship in 2019 – a decision that was vindicated.

The Assam boxer emulated her podium finish from the previous world meet, winning another bronze medal.

But medals at the world and continental competitions did not satiate Lovlina’s hunger for success. She wanted to win at the Olympics.

"Olympics has been my parents' dream and I am working towards it,” she told DNA.

Lovlina took a step towards the dream by securing a Tokyo 2020 berth with a bronze-medal finish in the 2020 Asia & Oceania Boxing Olympic qualifiers.

She defeated Maftunakhon Melieva of Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals to join the nine-member Indian boxing contingent at the Tokyo Olympics.

The story of Lovlina Borgohain’s dream debuts continued at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics too.

After ousting Germany’s Nadine Apetz in the opening round, Lovlina Borgohain took on former world champion Chen Nien-chin – a boxer she had failed to defeat in the last three attempts.

However, this time it was the Indian that stepped out of the ring victorious.

Lovlina Borgohain defeated Chen Nien-chin 4-1 in the quarters to confirm her first medal at the Summer Games.

The Indian pugilist eventually went down to world No.1 and reigning world champion Busenaz Surmeneli in the semi-finals, but her bronze was no small achievement.

With it, Lovlina Borgohain became the third Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal, joining the legendary MC Mary Kom and Vijender Singh. The Assamese pugilist was also presented the Arjuna Award in 2020.

Forced to move up to the 75kg weight class after her pet 69kg was scrapped from the Paris 2024 Olympics programme, Lovlina Borgohain started to make her presence felt in the division.

She won a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Championships before winning the silver at the Asian Games in Hangzhou next year, securing a Paris 2024 Olympic quota in the process.

In 2023, Lovlina was crowned the world champion in the women’s middleweight (75kg) division. Mary Kom is the only other Indian boxer who has won an Olympic medal and a gold at the world championships.

Lovlina's quest for a second Olympic medal at Paris 2024, however, fell one win short as she went down to China's Li Qian, the eventual gold medallist, in the quarter-finals.