Tokyo 2020
Tokyo Olympics Player Profile: Boxer Lovlina Borghoin
With 100 days remaining for Tokyo Olympics, we take a look at all the players who have qualified, one-by-one. Today's pick is boxer Lovlina Borgohain.
With 100 days remaining for Tokyo Olympics, we take a look at all the players who have qualified, one-by-one. Today's pick is boxer Lovlina Borgohain
Though boxing has been one of India's strong suites in recent years, the success Indian boxers have achieved at various international competitions have not quite translated into Olympic medals.
Vijender Singh and Mary Kom's bronze medals in the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2012 London Olympics remain India's only podium finish at the sport in the Olympics. The current lot of the Indian pugilists would be eager to improve that statistic, especially after a below-par performance at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
One of the many who would travel to Tokyo to represent India in boxing is the 23-year-old Lovlina Borgohain. She became only the second Indian woman boxer ever to qualify for the Olympics when she booked her slot via a win over Uzbekistan's Maftunakhon Melieva at the quarterfinals of Asian Boxing Qualifiers.
Where does Lovlina Borgohain hail from?
Lovlina Borgohain hails from the Golaghat district in the northeastern Indian state of Assam.
What is Lovlina Borgohain's family background?
Lovlina comes from a typical middle-class family. Her father is a small scale businessman with quite a bit of financial struggles, while her mother is a housewife. She also has two elder twin sisters – both of who are national level, martial artists.
How did Lovlina Borgohain start boxing?
Much like any other child in an Indian family, Lovlina was inspired by her siblings. She started off with Muay Thai, but later switched to boxing when an opportunity presented itself. It is reported that she participated in a trial conducted by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) at her school where she caught the eye Padum Boro – the coach under whom she started practicing the sport in 2012.
What was Lovlina Borgohain's claim to fame?
Lovlina Borgohain shot to fame with a bronze medal at 2017 Asian Boxing Championships in the Women's Welterweight category. She back it up with yet another third-place finish at the President's Cup held at Astana, Kazakhstan to announce her arrival on the world stage.
What are Lovlina Borgohain's biggest achievements so far?
Lovlina has not one but two World Championship medals in her kitty – both of them being the brown metal in the Welterweight category. The first of the two came at the 2018 AIBA Women's World Championships at her home soil in New Delhi, while she clinched the second at the same event held at Ulan-Ude, Russia in the year 2019.
In which category would Lovlina Borgohain compete at the Tokyo Olympics?
Lovlina would be seen fighting it out in the Women's 69kg Welterweight category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Will Lovlina Borgohain be the first athlete from Assam to represent India at the Olympics?
No, Lovlina Borgohain would not be the first athlete from Assam to represent India at the Olympics. But, she will certainly be the first woman from the state to represent India at the Olympics.
