At the highest level of combat sport like boxing, apart from hitting, it's about how one can respond to getting hit. That means it's a must for boxers, among other vital tools, to have that ability to find solutions in nanoseconds and withstand the pressure.
Two established boxers, Lovlina Borgohain (late on Wednesday) and Amit Panghal (on Thursday), were put to test on that front in the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. A lot was at stake as a win would have assured a medal. Panghal delivered a textbook performance on how to cope with pressure while Lovlina, despite a bright start, fell apart and lost the plot after her rival, Rossie Eccles of Wales, fought back with a lot of intent, doing the damage in the process. A penalty for grabbing and holding up play during the second round didn't help her either.
"She went on the attack and did well in the opening round. But in the second round, she lost that attacking bit and also let the opponent come closer," women's national chief coach Bhaskar Bhatt said.In the opening round, Lovlina used her reach well, shuffling around the canvas to milk points at will. There was a clear gulf in class and after the 70kg pocketed the round 4-1, Eccles had plenty to do in the remaining two rounds.
And she did what was asked of her, closing the gap on Lovlina and landing some big punches to liven up the contest. In her bid to survive the relentless pressure, Lovlina was forced to clinch her rival on a few occasions, for which she was warned and penalised for repeating the offence by the referee. The momentum was clearly in Eccles' favour and Lovlina clearly seemed demoralised after that penalty. Lovlina was still ahead by a whisker after the second essay, but Eccles continued to be relentless in the third essay and was eventually rewarded for effort.
"Even then she was confident and tried hard. But she just couldn't play the way she was playing in the opening round. She seemed a bit drained as well. She was obviously downcast after the fight," Bhatt said, while reflecting on Lovlina's performance.
While Lovlina goes back to the drawing board, Amit (51kg) marched on with a well-managed fight against Lennon Mulligan of Scotland. There was clear daylight between the two fighters as Amit dictated play from start to finish. Lennon tried to apply the pressure and stay in the contest, but Amit was too evasive and the former was left in the shadows. Amit stayed calm and continued to breach his moving target with will, to pocket the match 5-0 and enter the semifinals and assure a medal for himself.Late on Wednesday, Ashish Kumar (80kg) was another Indian who suffered a fate similar to Lovlina. The Indian lost 1-4 against Aaron Bowen in the quarterfinals.
Debutants seal medal
Just an hour or so later, debutante Jaismine Lamboriya displayed her ability to cope with difficult situations to come out on top. The 60kg boxer beat New Zealand's Troy Garton by split verdict (4-1) to book a semifinal berth. "She was waiting for this. She had just missed out on a medal during the World Championships. She seemed happy and this is a big boost for her," Bhatt said. Another debutant, Sagar (+92kg), also confirmed a medal with a win over Agnes Keddy Evans.