Lovlina Borgohain Bows Out Of Paris Olympics, India’s Boxing Campaign Ends

Ace Indian boxer and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain bowed out of the Paris Olympics following her 1-4 loss to China’s Li Qian in the women’s 75 kg category.

With Lovlina’s heartbreaking loss, India’s boxing campaign at the ongoing Olympics came to a medal-less end following Nishant Dev’s elimination from the men’s 71kg quarterfinals on Saturday night in a similarly closely fought contest.

Borgohain, the reigning world champion in her weight category, lost to the 34-year-old Tokyo Games silver medalist in a contentious bout in which both boxers were frequently cautioned for clinching and holding.

The bout started at a fast pace as Borgohain and Qian quickly became entangled. Neither boxer seemed willing to initiate the first attack, leading to early instances of holding and clinching. The referee had to intervene repeatedly to separate the two competitors.

Qian appeared more determined, while Borgohain was initially the more animated of the two. Towards the end of the first round, Qian landed clean combination punches and a left hook, securing a 3-2 lead.

The second round began with a similar pace, but Qian became more assertive. Her right straights were effective, while Borgohain received two warnings for excessive holding. The score remained 3-2 in favour of Qian, though with different judges’ scoring, the lead was narrow on one card, with the others tied.

In the third round, holding and clinching persisted as both women appeared fatigued. Qian displayed excellent ring awareness to keep Borgohain at bay. Borgohain struggled to control the pace and was frequently hit by counter-attacks.

Despite the loss, Lovlina’s supporters have come out to cheer for her, asking her not to lose heart as “winning and losing is a part of sports”.

In a message on X (formerly Twitter), Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that though Lovlina lost, she had put up a clinical display.

“Chin up, Lovlina. Though our golden girl Lovlina Borgohain put up a clinical display against Li Qian but missed slightly in qualifying for the semifinal of Paris 2024. We are proud of you, Lovlina! Good luck for Loss Angeles 2028. Cheer for Bharat,” Chief Minister Sarma wrote.

Borgohain had previously faced Qian in the Asian Games final last year, where she lost 0-5.
The Assam pugilist later defeated Qian in the semifinals of the 2023 World Championship. However, Qian recently defeated her in a pre-Olympic tournament in Czechia in June.

It may be mentioned here that the Indian boxing contingent at the Paris Games comprised six athletes—four women and two men. Four of the six boxers were eliminated in the preliminary rounds.

Also Read: Lovlina Borgohain’s Quest For An Olympics Gold Begins Today With Her Bout Against Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad