Journalism of Courage
Lovlina Borgohain wins maiden Asian Games gold, joins Mary Kom in exclusive club
Assam pugilist beats China's Ziyi Bao in nervy final to add to her Hangzhou silver; joins Mary Kom in an exclusive club
Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain in picture. (FILE/AP)
Star Indian pugilist Lovlina Borgohain delivered the perfect birthday gift for herself at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, winning gold in the women’s 75kg boxing final at the Nishio Gymnasium on Friday.
In the final, Lovlina was at her clinical best against China’s Bao Ziyi, the reigning 2026 Asian Championships gold medallist, sealing a 5-0 victory to upgrade her silver from Hangzhou 2022. With this, 12 years after Mary Kom in 2014, she became only the second Indian woman ever to win an Asian Games boxing gold.
The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist had assured herself of a medal with a flawless 5-0 unanimous decision win over South Korea’s Seong Suyeon in the quarterfinals before edging past Kazakhstan’s reigning World Champion Natalya Bogdanova 3-2 via split decision in a nervy semifinal.
FOLLOW LIVE: ASIAN GAMES 2026 DAY 14 LIVE UPDATES
The 28-year-old has already won medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships, Asian Games, and Asian Championships, and the gold in Nagoya adds another significant chapter to an already decorated career. Coming into the final on the back of a strong run in Nagoya and a silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Lovlina went one better than her Hangzhou silver to finally change the colour of her medal at the continental event.
Lovlina’s triumph also marks India’s 12th gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games, continuing the contingent’s strong showing on Day 14.
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