Tokyo Olympics 2021 India, Day 12: India have athletes competing in boxing, wrestling, hockey and more.Tokyo Olympics 2021 India, Day 12: India’s action on Wednesday had a moment of spirits being lifted as boxer Lovlina Borgohain won a bronze medal, India’s third medal at Tokyo 2020 and the second bronze medal. Assam’s Borgohain bagged the bronze in women’s welterweight category after losing 5-0 against reigning world champion Busenaz Sürmeneli of Turkey in the 69kg semi-finals. Even though she was outplayed, Lovlina became India’s second woman boxer with an Olympic medal after Mary Kom in 2012 London Games. Ravi Dahiya then claimed a sensation result in freestyle 57kg Wrestling. Despite being 2-9 down, he fought back in the last minute to win by Fall (pinning your shoulder’s opponents to the mat). He will play the Gold medal match tomorrow. Deepak Punia lost his Semifinal and will fight in the Bronze medal match tomorrow.
Neeraj Chopra qualified for the men’s javelin throw finals by topping the Group A qualification with a throw of 86.65m, but Shivpal Singh failed to do so in Group B. On the other hand, India faces Argentina in the women’s hockey semi-finals later in the afternoon. In their third-ever Olympics, it will be their first-ever last-four appearance. In wrestling, both Ravi Dahiya (57kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) won their opening two bouts and made their way into the respective semi-finals. Anshu Malik, who lost her opening bout in women’s 57kg, will compete in the repechage round next.
In the last Indian participation for the day, the women’s hockey team lost 1-2 to Argentina despite taking an early lead, thus ending their golden dream. They will be up against Great Britain in the Bronze medal match.
India's Lovlina Borgohain will face reigning world champion Busenaz Surmeneli in the semifinal. (PTI Photo)
A plane carrying a Belarusian Olympic sprinter seeking refuge landed in Austria on Wednesday after she resisted an attempt by her Olympic team's officials to send her home, where she feared reprisals from the authoritarian government.
Krystsina Tsimanouskaya boarded a plane at Tokyo's Narita International Airport that left for Vienna, but she was expected to travel on to Poland, which has offered her a humanitarian visa. Before leaving Japan, the 24-year-old Tsimanouskaya said she hoped she could continue her running career but that safety was her immediate priority.
Her husband fled the country quickly this week when he realized that his wife would not be returning to Belarus.
Vienna Airport said the direct flight that Tsimanouskaya boarded landed Wednesday at 3:08 p.m. (1308 GMT). Vadim Krivosheyev, an activist with the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation, said Tsimanouskaya took the flight to Austria instead of Warsaw on the advice of Polish authorities.
``The decision to change the route and fly to Vienna was made by the Polish side for security reasons,`` Krivosheyev told The Associated Press.
Arshad Nadeem, who became the first ever Pakistani to qualify for the final of a track and field competition in the Olympics, could easily have been lost to cricket had it not been for his brother who convinced him to take up athletics.
The 24-year-old who belongs to Mian Channu, a small town near Khanewal in the Punjab province, was a talented cricketer but having to work in the cotton and wheat fields didn't leave him with enough time for the game.
'He was very athletic and strong and he couldn't get enough time for cricket although he was a very good all-rounder. I advised him to take up athletics as it consumed less time," his brother, Afzal said.
Mian Channu is famous for fertile cotton and wheat production lands and has produced some international level cricket and hockey players, but Arshad decided to make his name in track and field.
On Wednesday he went through to the final of the javelin throw competition which will be held on August 7.
Arshad threw at a distance of 85.16 metres to qualify for the final where he will be pitted against India's Neeraj Chopra, the 2018 Commonwealth champion, who threw 86.65 metres with his first attempt and Germany's Johannes Vetter.
Nadeem is the first Pakistani athlete in history to qualify for the final of any track and field event at the Olympics.
"Arshad is in very good form right now and he is feeling very confident ahead of the final," his brother said.
Arshad, before leaving for Tokyo, had said in an interview that he never saw what the other competitors were doing and only focussed on what he was doing.
He has already had a taste for gold, having stood atop the podium at last year's South Asian Games in Nepal and he also took bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games behind gold medallist Neeraj Chopra.
Despite the lack of training facilities, international exposure and diet issues, Arshad threw the javelin to a distance of 86.39m (his personal bets) earlier this year, setting a national record during the Imam Reza championship in Iran.
In 2019, he threw 86.29m at the South Asian Games in Nepal.
His coach, Fayyaz Hussain Bukhari, was the person who got him his first real break, in 2015, when he got him a job in the water and power board (Wapda), a government authority which is famous for nurturing sports talent for years now.
It was in 2015 that Arshad appeared in the National Championships and broke the national javelin throw record to win gold.
Lasha Talakhadze pumped everyone up with three world records on the final day of Olympic competition in weightlifting. The defending champion from Georgia lifted 223 kilograms in the snatch and 265kg in the clean and jerk for a total 488kg on Wednesday. All three figures broke his own world records in the over-109kg men's superheavyweight category. Ali Davoudi of Iran was left in second place by the vast margin of 47kg.
Even Talakhadze's starting lifts were more than anyone else attempted, which meant he had to lift three times back-to-back in each half of the competition.Talakhadze immediately pledged to return for a third Olympic gold in 2024, and his feat in Tokyo raised the question of whether he could become the first man to lift the once undreamed-of total of 500kg. "At this stage it would be risky, this 500, but I will try my utmost and I will do everything in order to set the nearest margin at least to that limit," Talakhadze said through an interpreter.
While all eyes may be on Hockey and Wrestling tomorrow, in athletics, the race walk event for men's 20km walk is scheduled for Thurday from 1 pm at Sapporo Odori Park which 1000km from Tokyo. KT Irfan will be representing India in 20km event in which 56 other competitors will compete. In 2012 London Games he finished 10th overall.
The walkers are wary as the weather conditions are far from ideal conditions. The temperature was hovering above 30 degree celcius while humidity was at 99% during the week around the venue and it will be tough for walkers to better timings.
On Thursday, India have some definite chances to clinch medals, maybe even multiple ones. The men's hockey team will be going for their first medal in 41 years when they play the Bronze medal match (7 am IST). In wrestling, Anshu Malik has qualified for the repechage rounds. Vinesh Phogat, top seed in her category, will take the mat for the first time (8 am IST). She will have all her rounds tomorrow, except the medal rounds, provided she progresses.
The biggest event of the day, however, is in the afternoon, when wrestler Ravi Dahiya seeks to win India's first individual gold since Abhinav Bindra. He will have his Gold Medal match at 4:45 pm IST. Deepak Punia will also have his Bronze medal match at the same time.
The American gymnast Simone Biles says she might compete in the next Olympics in Paris.
"One morning I woke up and I was like, ‘I’m more than my medals and gymnastics, I’m a human being. And I’ve done some courageous things outside of this sport as well and I’m not a quitter and it took all of that realizing to see that, because ... if this situation didn’t happen I don’t think I would have ever seen it that way, I would have never been able to walk away and think I’m more than just gymnastics and medals," she told NBC. The 23-year old added that she is keeping "the door open” for Paris Olympics.
In the early days of his international career, 200m gold medallist Andre de Grasse was an insomniac. He tried every trick in the book, including counting numbers backward to coax sleep. He could not. He then sought over-the-counter magnesium pills to relax his mind and body.
But of late, he has fished a more natural, healthier way—to watch something light on Netflix. “Just something light, with not much action because that will stimulate my mind too much. I just try to watch something that’s boring that I’ll fall asleep to, that has a lot of talking,” he told Complex CA, a Canadian magazine.
None that puts him to sleep more often than Harry Potter, though. “No offense to Harry Potter—it is a good movie, I love it—but sometimes it has a lot of talking. The movie’s like three hours long, and then sometimes there’s a lot of talking, so that helps me fall asleep,” he says.
Satnam Singh remembers the bus rides coming back home alongside daughter Gurjit, who couldn’t stop talking about something called the ‘drag flick’ from her hockey practice, reports Nitin Sharma. Today, Gurjit drag flicked India into believing!
If the hockey team's progress into the semifinals was the most romantic moment in the Olympics for India so far, today's last-minute comeback by Ravi Dahiya could give it close competition.
Andre De Grasse has won the first Olympic gold medal of his career after winning the men's 200 metres final in 19.62 seconds. De Grasse, who has three Olympic bronze medals and one silver across two Games, finally got his hands on a sprint title with a new national record time.
He wins Canada's first gold in the men's 200m since 1928.
The disappointment of losing the Olympics final in a split decision weighed more on Ben Whittaker than the joy of achieving something not many get to do – stand on an Olympic podium. He later realised what he missed, writes Shahid Judge.
India had a dream start with Gurjit converting a penalty corner after their first foray into the Argentine D. Sjoerd Marijne’s team seemed the better of the two units in the opening 15 minutes...but it wasn't to be.
PM Modi had a telephone conversation with Women’s Hockey Captain Rani Rampal and coach Sjoerd Marijne. He expressed pride at the performance of the women's hockey team. He told them that the Women's team is a skilled group of athletes who have worked very hard and that they must look ahead. He also said that wins and losses are a part of life and that they must not be disheartened.
India's participation is over for the day, but there's a lot of history being scripted in Tokyo. Like Ukrainian Greco-Roman wrestler Zhan Beleniuk, who has won a gold medal in the men's 87kg event.
37 years ago, PT Usha got as close to an Athletics medal in the Olympics as an Indian has ever got. Norman Pritchard's 2 Athletics medals are credited to India of course, but that has been an elusive dream since Independence. Neeraj Chopra has raised hopes of dreamy-eyed fans of the track and field in India today. Here's what the 1984 hero has to say to Neeraj:
Meanwhile, here's how Ravi Dahiya's village reacted to his insane turnaround victory a little earlier.
From cradles of the sport to a Naxal stronghold. Some criticised for not doing chores, others moulded by the heat of farms and factories. Living up to a brother who represented the nation, rejoicing a sister who bought a stick with daily wages. Playing hockey to escape an alcoholic father and to vindicate a father who fought societal norms. These are the larger-than-life back-stories of the Indian hockey’s giant-killers:
READ | HERSTORY: The 16 who scripted Indian women’s hockey history
What a chance in the last minute! The ball rolls towards the Argentine goal. The keeper gets her foot to it. India ask for a PC. Again, time comes to a standstill. 'No clear reason to change the decision', says the TV umpire's voice. The Argentine keeper lets out a loud roar! It's not over yet, but there's just 17 seconds left on the clock.
Time left for one last long corner. Rani and Noel, the captains, seen in conference with the umpire. Argentina get the free hit. Long scoop. That should be it.
India have lost the semifinal by 1-2. They will be fighting for Bronze. They'll play Great Britain in the Bronze medal match.
Salima Tete continues pressing from the left. Argentina steal possession again. Again a spell of Argentina pressure. After a period of Indian pressure, the wheels have turned again. Marijne shouts instructions from the sideline. Argentina run down the clock when they have possession. 2 minutes to left...
Another fine save from the Argentine keeper! Gurjit unleashes a shot from outside the circle. The keeper makes a dive to her right and somehow gets to it. Last 7 minutes left...India's women, playing their first ever Oly semi, need to score to keep the golden dream alive. India look to counter-attack. Too fast for comfort though. A fumble, and the ball is lost. Last 6 minutes...everything on the line from both teams.
Big chance for India! The best chance India have had to equalize so far. Navneet and Monica, with some help from Lalremsiami, play some 1-2s from the left flank before unleashing a shot, which is saved. Argentina under a lot more pressure now than before.
10 more minutes to go...Navneet supplies a long pass through the right side. The Indians are playing with much more energy, coming closer to each other to rely on shorter passes. The pressure leads to a Penalty Corner.
"This is a situation India will like -- within a goal of Argentina going into the last quarter. Surely they'll go all out and not hold back now? Nothing to lose at all for them. Already exceeded all expectations," says Mihir Vasavda from Tokyo.
The last quarter begins. India attack at the outset. Salima Tete makes an unforced error as a foul is called for dangerous play after an aerial pass. The Indian team continue attacking though, pressing the Argentines to force them to make a mistake.
Marijne looking tense on the sidelines, Rani Rampal takes a break as the rolling subs continue beside him. India now fighting back. They're keeping much more of the possession now. More bite in their attacks too. They make most of their attacks on the right flank. Salima Tete now makes a foray from the left. A threatening pass comes into the circle from the left too...cleared! 15 more minutes for the Indian women to turn it around.
Scenes as this match started earlier, around the same time Deepak Punia was fighting his semifinal:
And Argentina score from the PC! The endless attacks finally bear fruit. The referee reviews to see if it was dangerous play. Sushila Chanu was the defender at goal. Was the ball hit above her knee level? Time freezes...players wait with bated breaths. The referee looks at the replays on the big screen. And the goal stands! Argentina have taken the lead, again through Noel, their captain, in the 6th minute of the 3rd quarter.
"This was the greatest Ravi Dahiya comeback since Amitabh Bachchan’s Shehenshah. Scratch that. It was way better since it was real," writes Shivani Naik.
Meanwhile, India continue losing possession in the 3rd quarter in the centre of the field. A lot of gap between the defensive line and the offensive line, diagnoses Rasquinha. The Indian defence looking a little less organized than they were looking in the first half. Argentina continue bombarding the Indian goal! PC won in the 5th minute. India under pressure!
More good news from wrestling! Anshu Malik has made it to repechage round as Iryana Kurachkina of Belarus has made it to the final of 57-kg category. In the repechage rounds, she will take on Valeria Koblova of Russian Olympic Committee. If she wins that match, Anshu will have to fight it out with Evelina Nikolova of Bulgaria for bronze medal. Both the matches are scheduled for Thursday.
Anshu lost to two-time bronze medallist at the world championships Iryana 2-8 in the first round on Wednesday morning.
The second half between India and Argentina is now set to start. The Indian women's team have already exceeded expectations? Can they keep the golden dream rolling by winning again today? We begin in the 3rd quarter...
With the Olympics medal sealed, Ravi Dahiya’s father Rakesh and the villagers of Nahari, Haryana now hope that their long-standing demand of a hospital and regular electricity supply will be fulfilled, reports Andrew Amsan from the Olympic medallist's home.
“Now that a medla has come. I am sure a hospital will come up soon. The village folk are still waiting for a regular supply of drinking water and electricity. I am sure things will change now,” says father Rakesh.
The PC is saved. Then there's a second PC immediately. Navneet fumbles inside the circle. The ball is lost. And then, again, immediately, another PC! Argentina are furious. The referee says 2 Argentina players had their face masks on outside the circle, which is why the PC has been awarded. Argentina appeal against the PC. 'No break in play', says the TV umpire, and the challenge is successful.
The 2nd quarter coming to an end now. The score still 1-1. Argentina attack from the left flank again, and again they earn a PC. Argentina are blocked off from the Indian goal again! Salima Tete the savour this time.
India look to attack now. Almost for the first ime today, they are not in the lead. And now, they become a little profilgate too. Possession lost near the centre circle. Once...then again. Argentina swoop on the chances. Vandana makes a weaving run but is pushed to the right of the Argentine circle. Salima Tete tries to get a pass through to Rani Rampal waiting beside goal. Argentina surround her. And a Penalty Corner is earned.
The 2nd quarter begins. Argentina begin it on an attacking note. A PC to them straightaway. India do enough, just about, yet again. A cross comes in from the left but a foul for dangerous play is called as the ball rises above Savita Punia and past goal. India now attack! No one in the box to collect a pass from the left, and Argentina counter-attack. End to end! Gurjit concedes another PC. It's PC after PC at the moment. And this one is a goal! In the 3rd minute of the 2nd quarter, Argentina equalize from a penalty corner.
There's a clash of heads as both players go for the ball. Navneet's forehead seen bleeding as she goes off for some attention. Vandana Katariya being her usual self still, enters the Argentine goal before a shot is hit, the umpire tells her she cannot do that. At the end of the 1st Quarter, India are 1-0 up!
Argentina still continue having most of the possession, but India defend staunchly. Rasquinha says on commentary India are defending a little too deep. Grace Ekka needs to push her defensive line a little ahead to reduce the pressure on the team, he suggests.
Deepak who lost to USA's Taylor 0-10 in the semifinals of freestyle 86kg category, will play the repechage 1 against the winner of the match between Myles Amine and Ali Shabanau for bronze medal on Thursday.
Argentina now make a threatening attack on the Indian circle. The Indian girls get everything back in front of goal, protecting their early lead with their lives! Blocked. Savita Punia not even needed so far. A Penalty corner now for Argentina. Blocked and out. Again, the Indian defence stands strong. We are done with the first 10 minutes now.
Could be an attritional next 50 minutes!
What an hour! The semifinal begins in the Women's Hockey semifinal! And within 2 minutes, India are in front! Gurjit Singh scores. The shot somehow finds its way through a crowded Penalty circle and enters the Argentine net! Another crucial goal by Gurjit!
The American gets Deepak onto the ground. 2 points! Deepak reverses. Can he hold on? No, it's the American who again gets him on the floor, on the other side this time. A flurry of points now! Deepak looks to counter attack but Taylor lifts him and pushes him out of the centre. What a commanding win! 10-0 to the American.Deepak Punia never got going in this Semifinal. He will fight for Bronze tomorrow.
The American comes out with his hands raised in a victory march. Deepak Punia a much more sedate entry, he is 8 years younger than his opponent. A junior world champion! Can he do it as well at the senior level? The American David Morris goes for his legs within the first 10 seconds. Aggression! Deepak holds on. No points in the first minute. Deepak told to be more attacking. Passivity points here as well?
Ravi will be up against a Russian wrestler in his Gold medal match. Now there's the semifinal in Deepak's category, in which also there is a Russian, up against an Iranian wrestler. But it's the Iranian top seed who wins this one. Up Next: Deepak's semi.
What a comeback Ravi treated to us today though. When the dust settles down on Tokyo in a few more days, the last minute of his SF might just be remembered as one of the most thrilling.
Zavur Uguev of ROC (Russia) has just won the other 57 kg semifinal, which means the Russian will be Ravi's opponent in the Gold medal match tomorrow. The 86kg Freestyle semifinals will be up next. Deepak Punia is scheduled to take the mat in the second match in this event.
Ravi gets a point. Some window of opportunity for him. Then he pushes the Kazakh out of the centre cirlce. Two more points. Is this the resurgence? An injury time out for the Kazakh.
Last minute now....Ravi Kumar gets the Kazakh down. 2 more points! He gets the shoulder down now! Pinned. The Indian wins the fight! He's through to the Gold medal match. He beats his Kazakh opponent by fall after having been 2-9 down. A comeback win for the ages!
Off we go in the second. A much more aggressive start than the first half. Nurislam is turning Ravi! And then does it again! An ankle hold! An ankle hold which can be the finisher! 2 more points. Ravi cannot break free! 8 points to the Kazakh! A flurry of points with one ankle hold! Huge deficit to make up for Ravi now!
Ravi gets 2 points! The first attacking points of the match! He rolls Nurislam on to his back! Crucial 2 points. Nurislam makes sure to keep it down to 2. At half-time, the hooter goes! Ravi leads 2-1.
Some passivity from both players to begin the match. Nurislam makes one forward lunge, Ravi moves away. Nurislam then dives quickly towards Ravi's legs. Excellent defence by the Indian to ensure he stays up, no points conceded. The passivity clock is now ticking against Ravi Kumar! Will the first point go to the Kazakh? It does, with 3:50 left on the clock.
Ravi Dahiya, in a blue singlet, is set to play the semifinal match against Kazakhtan's Sanayev now. We begin! 6 minutes to decide if India will get a male Olympic medal winner since 2012.
Deepak is up after this. For now, it's Ravi Dahiya's turn to take the mat. His Semifinal will be at 2:30 pm. He will play either a Gold medal match, or a Bronze medal match - depending on today's result - tomorrow. A medal is not assured yet, but that elusive quest for the individual gold is still on. The thrill-a-second nature of wrestling could just provide India the sporting moment to transform the future. Sakshi Malik had transformed her Bronze medal fight with seconds left on the clock in Rio, worth remembering. Ravi Dahiya, as can be seen here, did not need any last-second maneouvres to win his Quarterfinal:
Hard to forget in all the medal fenzy and frenzy over medals which can still be assured today that it has been a great day for Indian golf too. Aditi Ashok has finished Day 1 at tied 2nd spot.
While wrestling is set to take centrestage over the next hour, we are also on the cusp of a historic moment in hockey. The women's team, which upset Argentina in their last match, will now be expected to deliver a similar performance against Argentina, who are not as feared a team in women's hockey as Argentina. Can the women step up to win our first hockey medal in an eternity?
"Had the fight gone on for thirty more seconds, Lovlina Borgohain could’ve been deemed unable to continue by the referee. She had been given standing eight-counts in the first and last rounds. And each time Busenaz Surmeneli landed, she snapped the Indian’s head back," writes Gaurav Bhatt.
Indian men have finally taken the stage, and they are in sight of a medal. If Ravi, and Deepak win their next bouts (both of which will happen over the next hour), they will both assure themselves of a medal. After a story of Indian women making the country proud on the Olympics podium yet again in Tokyo after a clean sweep by Sakshi and Sindhu in Rio, could one of these 2 become India's first male Olympic medallist since London 2012?
"In an Olympics without crowds, athletes are becoming stars online as they use TikTok to provide a glimpse of life inside the Athletes’ Village. There have been 5.9bn views of videos under the #Olympics tag and 4.2bn under the #OlympicSpirit topic," reports The Guardian.
Sam Fricker has gained more than 1.1 million followers through videos on day-to-day life, including a video where he debunked the several theories being floated around cardboard beds for players in Tokyo 2020.
Gold medal-winning US gymnast Sunisa Lee’s dance celebrating her win went viral too.
After winning two bouts each, wrestlers Ravi Dahiya (57kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) will be in action in their respective semi-finals from 2:45 PM. On the other hand, India will lock horns with Argentina in the women's hockey semi-final from 3:30 PM today.
Brazil, the reigning Olympic champions, will take on Spain in the men's football final on August 7... from 4:30 PM IST. While the Selecao defeated Mexico 4-1 on penalties in the first semi-final, La Roja beat Japan 1-0 in extra time in the other last-four clash.
In women's golf at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, India's Aditi Ashok displayed a stunning show at the end of the first round to be tied second place: 4-under-67 which studded with five birdies and one bogey. Aditi played the first round with Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Giulia Molinaro. Her compatriot Diksha Dagar was tied 54th (4 bogeys) at the end of the first of four rounds while playing with Kim Metraux and Tonje Daffinrud. Aditi, who was 45th in Olympic Gold Ranking, is playing in her second Olympics. In her debut Olympics at the 2016 Rio Games, she finished 41st among 60 golfers. Meanwhile, Diksha made her Olympics debut after reaching Tokyo on Sunday as she was on the reserved list and made it, thanks to late withdrawal.
In the men's event which concluded on Sunday, Anirban Lahiri (finished 42nd) and Udayan Mane (56th) represented India.
PM Modi spoke to Lovlina Borgohain and congratulated her on winning the bronze medal in women's welterweight boxing at the Tokyo Olympics. The 70-year-old told her that her win is a testimony to the talent and tenacity of our "Nari Shakti". He also said that her success is a matter of immense pride for every Indian, and especially for Assam and the Northeast.
A day after Raven Saunders won a silver medal in the shot put, her mother died. She was at an Olympic watch party in Orlando. The mother had spoken on Raven, who has gone through depression with suicidal thoughts, "Not being there is a bummer but we are cheering from here. Keep your head up." Read Sriram Veera's piece on the American athlete's trials with mental health here.
From cradles of the sport to a Naxal stronghold. Some criticised for not doing chores, others moulded by the heat of farms and factories. Living up to a brother who represented the nation, rejoicing a sister who bought a stick with daily wages. Playing hockey to escape an alcoholic father and to vindicate a father who fought societal norms. Read Mihir Vasavda, Shahid Judge's piece here.
India will take on Argentina in the women's hockey semi-final later today from 3:30 PM IST.
"In February this year, the 23-year-old Lovlina Borgohain made a two-day trip to her village Baromukhia in Golaghat district in Assam from Army Sports Institute, Pune, where she was training. Her mother Mamoni Borgohain suffering from kidney failure and undergoing an operation in Kolkata, the Indian welterweight boxer made sure she was by her mother’s side in tough times. She has not been home since, and now, she can carry an Olympic medal home," writes Nitin Sharma. | READ MORE |
At the fag end of round 1, Aditi is second after going 4 under. Diksha is going 4 over through the 14th hole and is tied 55th.
Even though she was outplayed, Lovlina Borgohain became India's second woman boxer with an Olympic medal after Mary Kom in 2012 London Games. She's also the third-ever Indian boxer to win a Games medal. A big, big achievement for the 23-year-old!
Lovlina moves on the frontfoot right from the start, looking for that knockout. Surmeneli, leading by 20-17, is taking it a bit easy now... avoiding her opponent's punches. But midway through the third round, the Turk brings her 'A' game and connects a left hook and an uppercut. Lovlina's unfazed though, still tries her best. And the winner is... Surmeneli by 5-0! Lovlina settles for bronze!