Commonwealth Games 2026: Freed from medal pressure, Lovlina targets gold

With a medal already guaranteed before throwing a punch, India's Lovlina Borgohain says the absence of podium pressure has freed her to chase the one prize she really wants at the Commonwealth Games — gold.

The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist advanced directly to the women's 75kg semifinals after receiving a bye, assuring India of its first medal of the Games.

For a boxer who had to battle through multiple bouts in each of her previous Commonwealth Games campaigns without reaching the podium, the direct passage came as a surprise.

"This was shocking news even for me. I never thought I'd get a direct entry into the semifinal because in the last two Commonwealth Games, I didn't even have a medal and I had to fight four or five bouts," Lovlina said on Friday.

"Maybe this is a blessing for all my hard work." The guaranteed medal also marks a turnaround for the 28-year-old, who endured a difficult spell after the Paris Olympics before gradually rebuilding her confidence through a string of international competitions.

"After the Paris Olympics I changed a lot. I played a lot of competitions, including the World Championships. I was confused whether to continue playing or not, but I continued. Then I got back-to-back training and I started winning medals," she said.

With the burden of securing a podium finish already lifted, Lovlina said her focus has narrowed to standing on the top step.

"There is no medal pressure now. I have to fight for gold. If I can win gold for my country, that will make me happy," she said.

The Assamese credited a training camp in Belfast for sharpening her preparations ahead of Glasgow.

"We had a training camp in Belfast. The training and sparring went well, so I am confident that I can win gold here," she said.

Lovlina is likely to face Australia's two-time world championship bronze medallist Emma-Sue Greentree in the final.

"I haven't played against Emma before. But with me it's like I can win against anyone if I am fully confident, but sometimes I can also lose to a very weak boxer. If everything works, I can take her down," she said.

She also praised head coach Santiago Nieva, who rejoined the Indian boxing setup earlier this year.

"We have had sparring sessions with her also. Santiago sir is a great coach. He was with us at the Tokyo Olympics as well and his training is very good," Lovlina added.