New Delhi: Three World Championships medals, one Olympic bronze and an Asian Games silver make for a fairly complete CV. Unless you are Lovlina Borgohain. When she lands in Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games (from July 23), Borgohain will look to rectify a missing podium — win her first CWG medal. It will be her third CWG and the seasoned pugilist will hope to go beyond the quarters.
At the 2018 CWG in Gold Coast, competing in the 69kg category, Borgohain lost her last-eight bout to England’s Sandy Ryan. Four years later in Birmingham, she was again ousted in the quarters, losing to Wales’ Rosie Eccles in the 70kg division. Both Ryan and Eccles went on to win gold medals. She will be competing in 75kg this time.
“That is one medal missing from my cabinet. Without doubt, Commonwealth Games will be my biggest target this year,” Borgohain said from Patiala where the camp for the CWG and Asian Games-bound squads is being held.
“It will be my third CWG and I don’t have a medal yet. I think it is also down to luck that I have run into some really good competitors. I have all the medals except this. I expect tough competition this time as well but hope to set this anomaly right.”
The 28-year-old made it to the CWG and Asian Games teams after a dominant 5-0 victory over Sanamacha Chanu at the selection trials. She warmed up for the international season by winning the Usti nad Labem Grand Prix in the Czech Republic in May, beating Italy’s Melissa Gemini 5-0 in the final.
The win was her second title of the year, after her Boxam Elite International triumph in Spain in February. There, Borgohain defeated Eccles in the semi-final before beating England’s 2025 World Championships quarter-finalist, Mary-Kate Smith.
Two months later, she secured a third-place finish at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar.
“This has been a great year so far. Coach Santiago Nieva has been working on a few technical areas. My performance in the Czech Republic gave me a lot of confidence. I am happy with my intensity during the bouts and also with my body language. I think I am ready for CWG,” she added.
Borgohain’s quarter-final run at the 2024 Paris Olympics was followed by a break from competitive boxing before a Round of 16 loss to Turkey’s Buşra Isildar at last year’s World Championships.
“I have been through some indifferent form in recent years. It was a tough phase but I can always lean back on my experience to bounce back. I have had a good career. I have been boxing for 15 years. The only secret of my longevity is that I love the sport and still enjoy it,” she said.
The Indian boxing contingent is scheduled to leave for a training camp in Ireland on July 10 and the CWG-bound boxers will head to Glasgow from there. “I plan to box till LA 2028 after which I will focus on my academy. In a way, this is the last lap of my career and I am determined to make it memorable.”
