Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Lovlina Borgohain punched her way to gold at the 2026 Asian Games. The Assam native claimed the women’s 75kg title on Friday at the Nishio Gymnasium. She dismantled China’s Bao Ziyi with a 5-0 unanimous decision. It was a birthday win. The boxer turned 29 the same day she secured the victory.
She is now the second Indian woman to claim boxing gold at the Asian Games. Mary Kom set that bar in 2014. Lovlina stayed calm against Bao, who entered the ring as the reigning 2026 Asian Championships gold medallist. Lovlina took the first round 3-2. She weathered Bao’s aggression in the second, winning that round 4-1. A steady final round sealed the 5-0 sweep. The victory marks a major career shift for Lovlina, who previously took silver at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The path to gold required grit. She edged out Kazakhstan’s world champion Natalya Bogdanova in a 3-2 split-decision semifinal. Her quarterfinal saw a clean 5-0 sweep over South Korea’s Seong Suyeon. The win adds to an impressive resume featuring Olympic bronze and World Championship hardware. "Lovlina delivered a composed performance against Bao," according to match reports.
India’s boxing camp is thriving. The squad has grabbed six medals in these Games, topping the four they earned in 2023. More gold could follow Friday. Parveen Hooda fights in the women’s 65kg final. Ankush Panghal contests the men’s 80kg final.
Updated at 2nd October 2026 at 6:15pm
The win marks a redemptive arc for the Assamese fighter. Following a medal-less run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Borgohain admitted she hit a wall. She described the aftermath of those Games as a dark period where life felt hard and she struggled to find her footing.
Borgohain opted to strip her technique down to the studs, focusing on the basics to rebuild her momentum. Her mindset shifted from chasing medals to executing her fight plan with total focus. "I am feeling very good. Today is my birthday and I am gifting myself a gold medal on my birthday. This is a very big thing for me," she said. "I just thought that I have to live my game. I have to give my 100 per cent. After that, the result will be good."
Updated at 2nd October 2026 at 9:49pm
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called Borgohain to congratulate her on the win, dubbing her Assam's Golden Girl. He told the public he would give the fighter time to soak up the moment before welcoming her home to Guwahati. The Chief Minister noted that the entire state is currently celebrating the result.
The win in Aichi-Nagoya carries extra weight in the record books. Borgohain is the first Indian woman boxer to reach two consecutive Asian Games finals. Her latest performance also snapped a 12-year drought for Indian women's boxing gold at the Games.
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