NEW DELHI, Oct 4: Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain returned to India with an Asian Games gold medal and set her sights on improving her Olympic medal after winning the women’s 75kg title in Japan.
Lovlina defeated China’s Bao Ziyi 5-0 in the final on October 2, securing gold on her 29th birthday. The victory also improved her medal from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, where she had won silver.
“This was a truly special feeling for me. The biggest highlight was winning this gold medal on my birthday. Every athlete dreams of competing at a major event and winning gold there,” she said after arriving in Delhi.
The boxer said her second Asian Games gave her an opportunity to change the colour of her medal after her silver in Hangzhou.
“It was also significant because this was my second Asian Games; having won silver last time, I was determined to change the colour of the medal this time around — that made it incredibly special,” she said.
Lovlina, who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics but missed the podium at the 2024 Paris Games, said she was now focused on the next Olympic cycle and qualification for the Los Angeles Games.
“Now, my preparations are focused on the Olympics. After winning bronze at Tokyo 2020, I missed out in 2024, so this time I am fully committed to giving my 100% and upgrading the colour of my medal,” she said.
She also said completing her medal collection after the 2026 Commonwealth Games helped her approach the Asian Games without pressure.
“I have a complete set of medals now — I finished the collection after the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which was a huge milestone for me. Going into this, I had nothing to lose, so my mindset was simply to go out and achieve something; I viewed any outcome as a privilege,” she said.
Her immediate target is the World Championships, which she considers another step towards qualifying for the Los Angeles Olympics.
“That was my approach, and I plan to maintain it as I prepare for the World Championships, with the ultimate aim of qualifying for the LA Olympics,” she said.
