‘Medal toh bas gold hota hai’: Boxer Lovlina Borgohain confident ahead of semis bout

Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain is already assured of a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Borgohain will face world champion Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey in the women’s 69kg semifinal on Wednesday, with an aim to become the first Indian boxer to make it to an Olympic final. Even if she loses the semifinal, the Indian boxer is assured of a bronze medal.

Borgohain is only the third Indian boxer to finish on the podium at the Olympics. Vijender Singh had won the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while MC Mary Kom had lost in the semifinal of the 2012 London Olympics.

The 23-year-old would be bringing home the first boxing medal for India after nine years. She could also go where no Indian boxer has reached, the finals.

On the eve of the crucial fight, national coach Mohammed Ali Qamar said that he feels Borgohain is ready and the preparations have been going well.

“Since the bout is in the afternoon, we have been training in the afternoon everyday for the past two days,” Qamar told PTI.

“As for Lovlina, all that needs to be conveyed in terms of strategy has been conveyed to her and she is ready. These two have never faced each other before so it is an unchartered territory for both of them,” he added.

“She is very upbeat and confident about a good performance and I am sure she will deliver.”

The 23-year-old from Assam started as a Muay Thai practitioner. She was confident about her path ahead at the Tokyo Olympics after her win in the quarterfinal against Chinese Taipei’s Nein-Chin Chen, a former world champion.

“Medal to bas gold hota hai, let me get that first,” she had said after the historic triumph which ensured that the nine-strong Indian boxing team that came here has at least one medal to celebrate.