NEW DELHI: Soon after Lovlina Borgohain won her fight and entered the mixed zone, she gave mediapersons a big, toothy smile. As the saying goes, a smile is worth thousand words. In this instance, it certainly felt like one.With the victory, the girl from Assam had just assured herself a medal at the AIBA Women’s World Championships. She is the fourth Indian to do so in this championship. It’s mighty impressive given that this is her first outing in this marquee event. “I’m feeling great,” she said.
The 2018 India Open winner is not ready to breathe easy yet and is determined to march on. “I have to prepare for the next bout. It was quite tough and the earlier bout was also equally tough,” she added.
Everyone was impressed by the manner in which Lovlina went about her business in the quarterfinals. Solid and courageous. Her rival Kaye Scott Frances also acknowledged it after Lovlina’s 5-0 win. “It was closer than the score suggests but in your hometown you have to step up. She did more than I did. Congratulations to her,” the 2016 silver medallist remarked.
To draw such praise from a star is big for the girl from Golaghat (around 300kms from Guwahati), who began her boxing career just six years ago. She was into Muay Thai before being spotted by Padum Chandra Boro, SAI head coach (Guwahati), in 2012.Very soon, she was making headlines in the national circuit, winning a gold medal in the sub-junior category. That’s how her boxing chapter began. “I had no clue about boxing then.
The Assam federation backed me to take part in the meet. My fitness was good and given that Muay Thai also involves boxing, it served to be useful and I managed to win gold,” the 21-year-old recalled.
Having seen her from close, Padum feels Lovlina can kick on to win the gold medal. “I’m confident that she can win,” he said from Guwahati. The SAI had conducted a trial at her school, where Padum and associates got a glimpse of her talent.
According to Abhishek Sah, SAI assistant coach, she had displayed all the key traits. “Her height was good and her footwork was really good. She has improved further after joining the national team. We hope that she becomes a world champion.”
Her father Peiken Borgohain, a small-time businessman, revealed that they have a suitable environment for aspiring sportspersons in Golaghat, which played a crucial role in shaping her as a person. “We are happy for her. But if she can go on to win, it will be even better,” he said.But she faced trouble balancing studies and boxing. “I was irregular in college. And now I have stopped attending it altogether. I’m looking to get an admission from Open University,” she revealed.
Inside the ring, she is happy to get this golden opportunity and get admission to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “This is really important for me. If I want to qualify for the Olympics, I have to beat everyone and win gold. If I do that, I can qualify for the Olympics in the near future. This matters a lot for me.” She faces Chinese Taipei’s Nien-Chin Chen next.
Sonia, Simranjit in last four
There was more delight for India as Sonia (57kg) and Simranjit Kaur (64kg) entered the semis. Manisha Moun’s (54kg) run came to end after she lost 2-3 against top seed Stoyka Zhelyazkova (Bulgaria). Pinki Jangra (51kg) and Seema Poonia (+81kg) also ended up on the losing side.
anmol@newindianexpress.com
Mary set for record seventh
Another medal is assured for MC Mary Kom after she beat China’s Wu Yu 5-0 in the light flyweight (48kg) category here on Tuesday. A seventh in the World Championships is the most by any boxer in the flagship event. She won her first medal (gold) 16 years ago and continues to prove that age is just a number. “It was very tough. I was trying to stay calm. I had a plan and fought accordingly. It was a solid experience,” she said after her bout.
After her first bout, the 35-year-old had said that there’s always the pressure to perform. “There’s a lot of pressure on us. Despite playing for the country for so long, we always get called out.” She next faces North Korea’s Kim Hyang Mi in the semifinals. The Indian had beaten her in the Asian Championships last year. Mary Kom entered the tournament with five gold and one silver medal, tied with Irish legend Katie Taylor on the number of medals won.
Bulgarian boxer barred
Bulgarian boxer Stanimira Petrova has been barred by International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) from the competition for ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’. Petrova allegedly accused the judges of corruption after her loss against India’s Sonia Chahal. “After 197 bouts in five days conducted under the highest standards of level playing field, Ms. Petrova has made false and misleading statements regarding the AIBA officials,” said Tom Virgets, AIBA Executive Director.