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Persistence and never giving up are essential qualities for anybody pursuing their goals and aspirations. The path of turning your goal into a reality is full of challenges, which is why we must learn to be determined in our lives. Today, we bring to you a story of sheer determination and grit, the story of Lovlina Borgohain, the Indian boxer who has made it to the Tokyo Olympics Semi-finals!
This Blog Includes:
Who is Lovlina Borgohain?
Lovlina Borgohain is an Indian amateur woman boxer who is known for winning several medals including the 2018 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, where she won bronze medals in both. She is the first Assamese woman to qualify for the Olympics, and she is the state’s second boxer to represent the country after Shiva Thapa. She was the sixth person from Assam to receive the Arjuna Award in 2020.
Lovlina Borgohain Reaches the Semi-Finals in the Tokyo Olympics
Women’s Welter (64-69kg) semifinalist Lovlina Borgohain defeated Nien-Chin Chen to give India a second gold at the current Tokyo Olympics. Lovlina qualified for the semi-finals, ensuring a bronze medal at the very least. On Friday, she won the final eight-match by a 4:1 split decision.
Lovlina beat Germany’s Nadine Apetz in the Round of 16. On Tuesday, she won the fight 3:2. In the semi-finals, Lovlina will face Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey, who is seeded first. Lovlina became the third Indian woman and third Indian overall to win an Olympic medal, following Mary Kom and Vijender Singh.
Early Life of Lovlina Borgohain
Lovlina was born on October 2, 1997, in the Assam district of Golaghat. Her parents, Tiken and Mamoni Borgohain, are small-business owners who have struggled to fund their daughter’s ambition. Licha and Lima, her older twin sisters, also participated in kickboxing at the national level but could not take it further.
Lovlina began her career as a kickboxer as well, but when the chance arose, she moved to boxing. Lovlina competed in trials organized by the Sports Authority of India at her high school, Barpathar Girls High School. Coach Padum Boro, a well-known figure in the sport, saw her and chose to coach her in 2012. Shiv Singh, the Chief Women’s Coach, later trained her.
Boxing Career of Lovlina Borgohain
Lovlina’s biggest break came when she was chosen to compete in the welterweight boxing division at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The announcement, however, sparked debate as it was revealed that she had received no official notification of her nomination. After the story broke in a major news outlet, she heard of her selection. In the quarterfinals of the Commonwealth Games, she was defeated by Sandy Ryan of the United Kingdom. Sandy Ryan went on to win the gold medal in that category.
Lovlina’s selection for the CWG 2018 was based on her gold medal performance in the welterweight division at the inaugural India Open, an international boxing tournament held in February 2018. In November 2017, she earned a bronze medal at the Asian Boxing Championships in Vietnam, and in June 2017, she won a bronze medal at the President’s Cup in Astana.
In June 2018, she won a silver medal at the Ulaanbaatar Cup in Mongolia, and in September 2018, she won a bronze medal at the 13th International Silesian Championship in Poland.
2018 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships
On November 23, 2018, she won the bronze medal in the Welterweight(69 kg) division at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, where she represented India for the first time.
Women’s World Boxing Championships, AIBA, 2019
Borgohain was selected without trials for her second Women’s World Boxing Championships (2019), which were held in Ulan-Ude, Russia, from 3–13 October. In the 69 kg semi-final, she was defeated by China’s Yang Liu by a score of 2-3, and she had to settle for the bronze medal.
Infinity Optimal Solutions (IOS), a sports management agency, signed Borgohain in 2019 to handle her endorsements and commercial interests.
2020 Asia & Oceania Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament
Borgohain earned an Olympic spot in the 69 kg division by defeating Maftunakhon Melieva of Uzbekistan 5-0 at the 2020 Asia & Oceania Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament in March 2020. As a result, she has become the first Assamese athlete to qualify for the Olympics.
2020 Tokyo Olympics
She is presently competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Lovlina has defeated the German boxer Nadine Apetz as well as Chen Nien-chin of Chinese Taipei on July 30, 2021, to secure her medal.
Twitter can’t stop appreciating Lovlina Borgohain’s victory. Fans and sports figures flooded social media with congratulatory comments for the Indian boxer following her historic triumph. Have a look at some of these tweets:
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The news of our Indian boxing star Lovlina Borgohain truly made India proud. We wish her all the best for her upcoming competitions! For more such inspiring blogs and content, stay tuned to Leverage Edu!
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