NEW DELHI: A year after questioning her future in boxing, Lovlina Borgohain found the perfect answer on Friday, winning Asian Games gold on her 29th birthday.The 29-year-old had contemplated walking away from boxing after returning empty-handed from the Paris Olympics. Two years later, after enduring a difficult phase and questioning her future in the sport, Lovlina stood on top of the podium at the Asian Games — becoming only the second Indian woman boxer after the legendary MC Mary Kom to win the continental gold.“I wanted to quit boxing. But I continued. I had to change the colour of my medal. It was very important. More important than that is that I continued,” Lovlina said after defeating China’s Ziyi Bao 5-0 in the women’s 75kg final.Asian Games Full Coverage | Medal Tally | Schedule
From Paris heartbreak to Asiad glory
Lovlina had won an Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020 but returned from Paris without a medal. She subsequently took a year-long break before making her return to international boxing.The comeback, however, was far from smooth. She exited the World Championships in the second round and later skipped the World Boxing Cup final. At the Commonwealth Games this year, she had to settle for silver — a result that left her dissatisfied.“It was a tough year for me,” she said. “I was not happy about winning the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. But, there are a lot of things in an athlete’s life: losses, injuries. You have to handle a lot of things. This gold medal was very important to me.”The gold in Japan completed a remarkable turnaround for the boxer from Assam, who had won silver at the previous Asian Games after losing to China’s Li Qian.
‘I am feeling very good’
Lovlina held her nerve in a closely fought final against Bao. She edged the opening round 3-2 on the judges’ scorecards before winning the second 4-1. She maintained her composure in the final round to secure another 4-1 verdict and complete a 5-0 victory.The triumph ended India’s 12-year wait for a women’s Asian Games boxing champion, with Mary Kom having won flyweight gold at the 2014 edition in Incheon.Lovlina, however, was still taking in the magnitude of her achievement.“That is how I continued. I am feeling good. I don’t know how to celebrate my gold. It has just ended. I need some time to accept that I have won. I am feeling very good.”
‘You are confident, you are the best’
Lovlina said the journey had also been about overcoming self-doubt. Looking back at her younger self, she said she would remind herself of the ability she possessed.“I had no confidence at that time, so if I had the chance to talk to my younger self I would tell her, ‘You are confident, you are the best’. Now, I have a medal in every competition.”Mental strength, she added, was crucial when facing high-quality opponents.“I think it is important to be mentally strong. If we think that we have to win, no one can defeat us.”Japan, meanwhile, has now delivered another major moment in Lovlina’s career.“I have to be strong and win. I was very positive about everything. Japan is very lucky for me. I was always think about winning.”And when asked whom she would call first after winning the biggest title of her Asian Games career, there was little hesitation.“The first person I am going to call is my mum. She doesn’t watch my matches because she’s very worried,” she said.
