A 24-year-old’s journey from a small village in Assam to the majestic appeal of the Tokyo Olympics is an inspiration.
Lovlina Borgohain, a big fan of Muhammad Ali, stomps her way to the pre-quarters to face Germany’s Nadine Apetz on July 27.
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Her Journey
Lovlina comes from a village situated in Sarupathar constituency in Assam’s Golaghat district. She was a sports enthusiast from her childhood.
Her mother, Mamoni Borgohain, said:
“One day her father brought some sweets which were wrapped by a newspaper page. She took the newspaper and started reading and she came to know about Muhammad Ali and she developed her interest in boxing from there.”
“We have three daughters and we wished that all three become kickboxers. One of her cousin’s sisters took her to a Muay Thai coach and she started training. Later she concentrated in boxing.”
Entering the world of boxing
Like her mother, Lovlina is a massive fan of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. She had full support from her family.
With her twin sister Licha and Lama, she was introduced to ‘Muay Thai’, a form of kickboxing by their cousin sister when they were 13.
When she was in class 9, a Sports Authority of India (SAI) coach discovered Lovlina in Sarupathar and from that moment, she never looked back.
Entering Tokyo Olympic
Lovlina is to be known as the first boxer woman from Assam qualified for Tokyo Olympics. She will be playing under 69 kgs in the Tokyo games.
The villagers shared their excitement, saying:
“It is a very proud moment for us that she will play in Tokyo Olympics going from this remote area. There are no sports infrastructure and boxing rings here, but her dedication and hard works have brought her to the world stage. We hope that she will win the Olympic gold medal and bring joy and pride for India.”
Match with Nadina Apetz
Lovlina qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in March 2020 after winning in Asia and Oceania Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament.
Thanks to her opponent’s withdrawal from the event, she will face Germany’s Nadina Apetz in the pre-quarters final event on July 27.
Support from All Assam Student’s Union (AASU)
Wall painting drives started in different parts of Golaghat by AASU. Students are showing love, support, and encouragement towards Lovlina.
“We have taken up wall painting drive to support, encourage Lovlina who will play her debut match at Olympics. We have launched this wall painting drive across the Dhansiri sub-division. We also appeal to the people of the Golaghat district and the state to support Lovlina. We hope that she will win the Olympic medal,” a student leader of the Dhansiri area said.
Message from her Sister
Her sister Licha offered best wishes for her match:
“We hope that my beloved sister will win in the Olympics and we offer our prayers to God for her success.”
