Mumbai, July 30: Just as India was in tears seeing their boxing legend Mary Kom bow out of Olympics, Lovlina Borgohain succeeded a day after, creating history on Friday by reaching the semi-finals of the women's 69kg welterweight division. With this victory, Lovlina assured herself of at least a bronze medal.
She will be the second Indian woman and the third Indian boxer overall to win an Olympic medal after Mary Kom at the 2012 London Olympics and Vijender at Beijing 2008.
Vijender was among the first to congratulate Lovlina on social media, tweeting just minutes after the decision was announced at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo and the 23-year-old let out a jubilant roar.
Hailing from Bara Mukhia Village in Assam’s Golghar district, Lovelina was with her mother last year in July when the rest of the Indian boxers were attending the national camp as she was hospitalized for nephrological ailments, besides helping her father in their paddy field.
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In February this year, Lovelina had to take a break and fly down to Kolkata as her mother underwent a kidney transplant.
A two-time world championship bronze medallist, Lovlina was conferred with Arjuna Award in 2020. She is the first female boxer from Assam to qualify for Olympics.
Lovlina began her boxing training at Netaji Subhas Regional centre in Guwahati in 2012. Her first coach was Padum Boro.
She used to train in Muay Thai at first but when SAI held a trial, she was selected for boxing. She joined the SAI centre on June 28, 2012.
Here's everything you need to know about India's newest boxing sensation
DOB: October 2 – 1997 in Golaghat district of Assam
Women's amateur boxing
Weight class: Welterweight Weight(s) 69 kg
Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Achievements:
- First woman from Assam to qualify for the Olympics
- Bronze medal at the 2018 and 2019 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships
- Gold medal at 1st India Open International Boxing Tournament held in New Delhi
- Silver medal at 2nd India Open International Boxing Tournament held in Guwahati
- Second boxer from the state to represent the country after Shiva Thapa
- In 2020, she became the sixth person from Assam to receive Arjuna Award.
Father’s profession - Small-scale businessman who struggled financially to support his daughter's ambition.
Her story
Lovlina started as a kickboxer, but switched to boxing later when she found the opportunity to do so.
The Sports Authority of India held trials at her high school Barpathar Girls High School, where Lovlina was shortlisted and selected by renowned Coach Padum Boro, who began training her in 2012.
She was later coached by Chief Women's Coach Shiv Singh.
Biggest break
Lovlina's career's biggest break came when she was selected to participate in the 2018 Commonwealth Games welterweight boxing category.
She represented India for the first time at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship, held in New Delhi, where she won the bronze medal in the Welterweight(69 kg) category on 23 November 2018.
In 2019, Borgohain signed up with sports management firm Infinity Optimal Solutions (IOS) which will handle her endorsements and commercial interests.
Awards and recognitions
Arjuna Award, presented by President Ram Nath Kovind virtually for her outstanding performance in boxing.
World Olympic Qualifying Event
Borgohain, Women’s 69 kg boxer, trained at Assisi, Italy from October 15 to December 5 for World Olympic qualifying event scheduled for May – June 2021.
