Nishio, Oct 2 (IANS): Lovlina Borgohain opened up about thoughts of quitting boxing after the Paris Olympics, where she failed to win a medal after clinching a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.
Lovlina on Friday created history when she became the second Indian woman boxer to win a gold at the Asiad after the legendary Mary Kom as she changed the colour of her 2023 Hangzhou Games from silver to gold this time around.
Lovlina opened up about the tough time after the Paris Games, where she contemplated quitting the sport but returned as she enjoys boxing. “The time after the Paris Olympics was very hard for me. It hurts when we give our 100% for the results, but it does not come as we think. After that, it feels like everything is over,” she told IANS after her Asiad gold.
‘But after that, I realised that I am not playing boxing for the medal. Because I like boxing, that’s why I am playing. That was very important for me. I started boxing on a fresh note. I enjoy everything. I just enjoy my game now. That’s why I got the result,” she added.
She had won a silver at the Commonwealth Games 2026, which completed her major medal tally as she already had an Olympics bronze, an Asiad silver and a World Championships’ gold.
Coming into the Aichi-Nagoya Games, she wanted to change the colour of her medal. “I had a silver medal in Glasgow; I had the same mindset that I have to change my colour at Asian Games. But the medal in Glasgow completed my tally, so that was very special for me. After that, winning the gold medal in the second Asian Games is a very big thing for me.
“I am able to do this because of everyone’s support. I am able to do this because of the support of the coaches and the government,” she added.
She won the Asiad gold on her 29th birthday and also celebrated the day with a cake-cutting ceremony after the win. “I am feeling very good. The biggest thing is that I was able to give myself such a big gift on my birthday. It is a very special moment for me.
“The cake cutting was done here. Everyone is very happy on my birthday. The medal is definitely for the country. It’s a big thing for me that I got the medal for the country. And it’s a big thing for me that everyone is blessing me,” she said.
