CHENNAI: When hard work meets talent, it can generate wonders. Lovlina Borgohain's tale is a perfect case in point. The lanky boxer from Assam is one of the rare breeds in the sport. She might be an Olympic medallist but she does not let her guard down. That hunger and determination is intact as he chases her ultimate dream — gold medal at Olympics, an uncharted territory so far for Indians (in boxing). It's like an obsession, albeit a healthy one.
On Tuesday, Lovlina — who hails from Baromukhia in Golaghat district — enhanced her chances of fulfilling her dream. Using her long reach to good effect, the 26-year-old got the better of Thailand's Baison Manikon by unanimous verdict in the women's 75kg semfinal of the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou. By booking a spot in the final, she ensured that she'll have another shot at the Olympics. Unlike many other weight categories, Lovlina's has just two quotas on offer in this Games. This is India's fourth Olympic quota in the sport so far.
"She is stubborn and has always dreamt of winning a gold medal at the Olympics. After winning the bronze at the last Olympics (Tokyo), she is not satisfied. She is intent on changing the colour of the medal. This (Tuesday's victory) is one massive step," Tiken Borgohain, Lovlina's father, told this daily, when asked what motivates her to operate at a high level.
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With that single-minded focus, she had pocketed her first world title earlier this year in New Delhi. Tuesday's outcome is a timely push for her. She is now in a position of strength but she has had her share of knocks not so long ago. After the Tokyo Olympics, she was forced to change her weight category (shift from 69kg to 75kg). Her preferred weight category (69kg) was dropped from the Olympic programme. That transition phase was a tricky one as she missed out on a medal (70kg) during the 2022 Commonwealth Games, a competition where Indians usually tend to find plenty of joy. Before the competition, she was mentally disturbed after she got unwanted media attention following her post on social media about her coach's absence at the Games Village. There were question marks over her ability to adapt, let alone thrive, in her new weight category where boxers tend to be more muscular and carry more bite in their punches. "It was tough on her then. She turned sad and became completely withdrawn," Bhaskar Bhatt, former national chief coach who was part of the Games then, recalled.
But she continued to focus on her boxing and returned with a bang during the National Games in Ahmedabad, where she beat a proven rival in Saweety Boora in the finals. This was her first medal after the weight switch. Following that gold, she parted ways with her personal coach Sandhya Gurung, who had had a huge influence on her. Despite the gold at the National Games, it was still early days. Showing a mark of a champion, she cleared those doubts emphatically during the Asian Championships, where she dominated to clinch the top prize before going on to dominate the national championships in Bhopal. She solidified her position in the aforementioned Worlds in New Delhi.
"She is humble and that is her advantage. She is willing to work hard and she got her focus back after those difficult moments. She is one to look out for in the upcoming Olympics," Bhatt noted.
Lovlina's immediate challenge is China's Li Qian, a two-time Olympic medallist. The final, which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, promises to be a fascinating bout.
Bronze for Narender, Preeti
Narender (+92kg) just missed out on an Olympic quota as he went down fighting against Kamshybek Kunkabayev of Kazakhstan. Kamshybek showed why he is an Olympic medallist (Tokyo Olympics; bronze) as he outwitted his Indian rival with ease in the first two rounds, even though the second one looked close. In the third round, Narender showed plenty of intent and came out hard but that proved too little, too late. Narender, thus, walked away with a bronze medal. Another Indian who won bronze was Preeti. Preeti lost 0-5 against China's Yuan Chang in the 54kg semifinals. Apart from a bronze medal, Preeti also earned an Olympic quota. Sachin (57kg) also lost against a Chinese boxer in the 57kg quarterfinals.
