Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 2 (ANI): Following her gold medal win, Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain reflected on celebrating her 29th birthday in the most special way with her triumph and her love affair with Japan, where she also secured an Olympic bronze medal back in 2020.
After having won medals across the Olympics, Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, Lovlina finally struck gold at one of the 'big three' multi-sporting event, defeating China's Bao Ziyi 5-0 in the women's 75kg final to win India's first-ever gold in the category on Friday.
The star boxer who also celebrated her 29th birthday in style with her medal win, reflected on her medal win and how it came after so many "tough times" in between which led her to think about hanging up her gloves. She considers this medal as something god blessed her with after so many hardships and expressed her gratitude.
"I feel extremely good. This medal is very special to me because it has been such a long journey. Somewhere, this medal reminds me of that entire journey. There were very tough times in between—at one point, I was almost about to quit boxing. Coming back from that, becoming mentally strong, and winning this gold means a lot to me. So, I am extremely happy. I feel like God has given this to me, so I am embracing it with gratitude, and it feels really good," she said.
On winning the gold on her birthday, Lovlina said that she does not think she has ever gifted herself something this grand on her birthday and the mindset was clear: To make her birthday special with a gold and also not succumb to the weight of expectations while boxing it out in a country where she also achieved Olympic glory.
Despite all the pressure, Lovlina tried to handle things positively and constantly reminded herself to win.
"This is the most special birthday for me. I don't think I have ever given myself such a grand gift on my birthday. I came here with the mindset that I wanted a gold medal on my birthday," she said.
"My mindset this time was clear—I didn’t come with overwhelming expectations. I just wanted to enjoy my game. Japan has always been lucky for me, so I tried to stay positive. As competitions draw near, pressure builds up, so we try to handle it positively. In my mind, there was only one thought: "I have to win, I have to win". Also, the support I received from everyone played a huge role, and I believe that's what helped me win," she said.
On celebrating her gold, Lovlina said that she is going to have some sweets, even though she does not have them a lot.
"I usually do not have to manage my weight too strictly, except for shedding a kilo or two in the final few days. I do not eat many sweets usually, but today, to celebrate this gold medal, I am definitely going to eat some sweets," she signed off.
Following her win, she celebrated her birthday, cutting a cake with Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president Ajay Singh and her Asian Games teammates, including Preeti Pawar and bronze medalist Priya Ghangas.
Coming to the boxing clash, Lovlina produced a composed performance in the gold-medal bout, using her counter-punching effectively against an aggressive Bao to secure a unanimous victory, according to ESPN.
The Chinese boxer started the contest on the front foot and threw a flurry of punches in the opening round, but Lovlina remained patient and responded with effective counters. She edged the round 3-2.
Bao continued to press in the second round, but Lovlina grew in confidence and landed the cleaner punches. She took the round 4-1 to establish a 2-0 lead on the judges' scorecards.
With the gold within reach, Lovlina maintained her strategy in the third round, allowing Bao to come forward while avoiding heavy damage and finding opportunities to counter. The Indian was awarded the round unanimously to complete a 5-0 victory and claim the Asian Games title. (ANI)
Japan love affair, special birthday gift: Boxer Lovlina Borgohain reflects on landmark Asian Games 75 kg gold
