Dibya Kamal Bordoloi
Even though Lovlina Borgohain loses in the semi-final in the Tokyo Olympics, the girl from a remote village of Assam won millions of hearts with her splendid game in the biggest sports event.
Guwahati: India's champion boxer Lovlina Borgohain loses to Busenaz Srmeneli of Turkey 0-5 in the semi-finals of boxing in the women’s Welter (64-69kg) category at Tokyo Olympics. But the young boxer from Assam wins a silver medal for the country in the Tokyo Olympics. In an unprecedented event, the ongoing budget session of the Assam assembly was adjourned for half an hour from 11 a.m to watch her game. Even though Lovlina Borgohain loses in the semi-final in the Tokyo Olympics, the girl from a remote village of Assam won millions of hearts with her splendid game in the biggest sports event.
Assam chief minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said over Twitter, "Congratulations to Assam’s daughter @LovlinaBorgohai for bringing home the bronze medal in #Olympics boxing. Your name will be etched in golden letters in the history of Assam. The entire nation is proud of your phenomenal achievement."
Lovlina had a tough Round of 16 bouts against Germany’s Nadine Apetz where she won via a split decision. She finished her Tokyo Olympics campaign with a bronze after losing in the semi-finals.
Lovlina becomes the third Indian boxer (women's welterweight category Tokyo 2021) to win an Olympic medal, after Vijender Singh (men’s middleweight bronze, Beijing 2008) and MC Mary Kom (women’s flyweight bronze, London 2012).
This is India’s second bronze at this Olympics after PV Sindhu also won a bronze in badminton. India’s only other medal at this Olympics came in the form of weightlifter Mirabai Chanu’s silver in the 49kg division.
Lovlina, currently the World No. 3, had earlier beaten World No. 2 Chen Nien-Chin of Chinese Taipei 4-1 in the quarterfinals to ensure herself a medal. Turkey’s Surmeneli had won both her previous matches at this Olympics by unanimous decision, and she similarly won this match.
Lovlina had defeated highly accomplished opponents in her two previous rounds. Chen was a former world champion, while the round of 16 opponent Nadine Apetz is also a two-time medalist at the Worlds, winning bronze in 2016 and 2018.
Notably, Lovlina is the first woman from Assam to qualify for the Olympics and is the second boxer from the state to represent the country after Shiva Thapa.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Lovlina for winning the Bronze medal and praised her determination. The Prime Minister also wished Lovlina for her future endeavours.
