Tokyo Olympics: Boxer Lovlina Borgohain reaches quarters after Apetz win

Boxer Lovlina Borgohain reached the quarterfinals of the women’s welterweight (64-69 kg) category after defeating Germany’s Nadia Apetz in the round of 16 bout at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday. 

The 23 year-old boxer from Assam won 3-2 against her 35-year-old rival, both of whom were making their Games debut. With the win, Bogohain became the only Indian to reach the quarters from the boxing contingent of nine players. 

It also puts her just one win away from securing India’s second medal of the Tokyo Olympics. 

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Borgohain, the lone Indian boxer in action on the day, showed great poise in a tense contest to triumph by the thinnest of margins. She claimed all the three rounds on split points.

The 35-year-old Apetz was first German woman to qualify for a boxing event at the Olympics and also a two-time world championship bronze-medallist and a former European champion.

Borgohain is a two-time World and Asian Championships bronze-medallist.

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The youngster from Assam was the aggressor in the opening round before she changed strategy to play the waiting game.

The strategy worked out just fine despite the German’s well-placed jabs often troubling the Indian.

Borgohain relied mostly on her left hooks to keep the slender edge.

Apetz is a pioneering name in German boxing. She is pursuing a PhD in neuroscience, which she put on hold for a year to prepare for the Olympics.

Apetz made the Games cut after reaching the semifinals of the European Qualification Tournament last year.