Boxer Lovlina Borgohain secures Asian Games gold on birthday
Indian pugilist Lovlina Borgohain marked her 29th birthday on Friday with an outstanding 5-0 unanimous victory over China’s Bao Ziyi.
This dominant win secured the women’s 75kg boxing gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Born on October 2, 1997, in Assam’s Golaghat district, she cements her position as one of India’s most decorated combat athletes. This latest triumph builds beautifully upon her historic Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze and 2023 World Championship gold.
Bao opened the bout aggressively by throwing rapid punches throughout the first round. Lovlina stayed patient, utilizing precise counter-attacks to edge the opening frame 3-2. Moving into the second round, the Chinese boxer continued to press forward. However, the Indian star took firm control by landing clean strikes, winning the round 4-1 to establish a comfortable 2-0 lead on the judges’ scorecards. During the final three minutes, Lovlina maintained her composed strategy. She invited her opponent forward while evading heavy damage and launching sharp counters, resulting in a unanimous 5-0 championship victory.
This gold medal caps a spectacular tournament run for the birthday girl. She reached the final after a hard-fought 3-2 split decision win against Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova in the semifinals. That crucial bout made her the first Indian woman boxer to reach consecutive Asian Games finals, having previously secured silver at the Hangzhou edition. Her impressive international resume now includes a 2022 Asian Championship gold and a 2026 Commonwealth Games silver. Honored with the Arjuna Award in 2020 and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021, her victory significantly boosts the national contingent’s success. India now holds 70 total medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, comprising 12 gold, 24 silver, and 34 bronze.