Lovlina Borgohain’s Journey to Gold: Overcoming Challenges
Image Source: REPUBLIC
Lovlina Borgohain, the 25-year-old boxer from Assam, won her first-ever gold medal at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 2023. In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network, she spoke about her recent victory and her journey to success.
Borgohain, who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 in the welterweight category, changed her weight category to 75kg after the 69kg category was removed from the Olympics. She shared that changing weight divisions affected her performance in two tournaments, but she became the champion in the last four tournaments she participated in, including the Asian Championships.
During the high-voltage summit clash at the World Championships, where she competed with a height disadvantage, Borgohain felt pressure to bring home the gold after three other Indian female boxers had already won gold medals. She shared that her second round didn’t go well, so she had to give her maximum in the third round to become the champion.
Borgohain also spoke about changing her weight category and the disappointment she faced at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. She shared that changing weight categories was a big reason behind what happened at the Commonwealth Games, and it affects the body when competing below or above one’s natural weight category.
Borgohain’s career at a glance includes two bronze medals at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships, one gold medal at the Asia Championships in 2022, and two bronze medals in 2017 and 2021. Alongside Borgohain’s gold quest, India won three more gold medals at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 2023, making it a total of four gold medals.
Borgohain’s inspiring journey from a small town in Assam to becoming a world champion is a story of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. She believes that problems come up at all stages of life, and we need to overcome them by working hard.
Re-reported from the story originally published in REPUBLIC