Asian Games 2026: Lovlina Borgohain clinches maiden gold; joins Mary Kom in elite club
Lovlina Borgohain won silver in the 2022 Hangzhou Games.
Star Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain has finally changed the colour of her Asian Games medal. On Friday at the Nishio Gymnasium in the ongoing Games, the boxer from Assam beat China’s Bao Ziyi by unanimous decision in the women’s 75kg final to clinch gold. Notably, she did it on her 29th birthday.
All five judges scored the bout in her favour, giving her a 146-139 advantage on the combined scorecards. She won silver in Hangzhou in 2022, so this is a step up.
She is only the second Indian woman to win Asian Games boxing gold, after Mary Kom, who won in 2014. It was also India’s 12th gold at the 2026 Games, on Day 14.
The path was tough. In the semi-final, Lovlina trailed after the first round against Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova, then fought back to win 3-2 on a split decision. The final looked harder on paper. Bao is the Asian Elite Championships gold medallist. Lovlina came in with a Tokyo Olympics bronze.
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How did the fight pan out?
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The opening round was tight. Lovlina set up her straight jab and landed several clean punches, while Bao tried to get inside with hooks. Three judges scored the round in Lovlina’s favour 10-9, while two sided with Bao, giving Lovlina a 48-47 lead on the overall scorecards.
Round 2 was Bao’s best. She pushed forward with uppercuts, and Lovlina’s attempts to clinch and push her away did not stop her.
Lovlina landed a big left hook late, and four judges still gave her the round, 49-46. But the cards were closer than that suggests. After a couple of rounds, three judges had the fight level at 19-19.
Round 3 settled it. Lovlina evaded Bao’s attacks, and four judges again scored the round in her favour, giving her a 49-46 advantage overall. That turned three of the previously level scorecards into 29-28 leads for Lovlina.
Judge 1 awarded this round to Bao but placed Lovlina ahead overall. Judge 5 scored the bout 30-27. There were no warnings or knockdowns.
Who won the women’s 75kg boxing gold at the Asian Games 2026?
India’s Lovlina Borgohain won it, beating China’s Bao Ziyi by unanimous decision on Friday at the Nishio Gymnasium. All five judges scored it her way, 146 points to 139 in total.
Why is Lovlina Borgohain’s Asian Games 2026 gold historic for India?
She is only the second Indian woman after Mary Kom to win Asian Games boxing gold. It also upgrades her silver medal from the Hangzhou Games and was India’s 12th gold of the 2026 Games.
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