Boxer Lovlina Borgohain’s Historical Path From Working in Paddy Fields to Reaching Paris Olympics

Paris Olympics: Hailing from the small village of Bara Mukhia in Assam, Lovlina Borgohain’s boxing journey began when she was in Class 5 and came across a picture of American boxer Muhammad Ali in a newspaper. The rest, as they say, is history.

Lovlina Borgohain, the 26-year-old boxing champion from Assam who has been representing India at the 2024 Paris Olympics, advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s 75kg category after defeating Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad On Wednesday, 31 July.  

Lovlina is now just one step away from winning a second Olympic medal when she will face top seed Li Qian of the Republic of China in the quarter-finals on Sunday, 4th August. Winning the bout will guarantee her a bronze medal which will mark a historic moment for her in Indian boxing.

Lovlina is Assam’s first Olympic gold medalist and the third Indian boxer to bag an Olympic boxing medal after Vijender Singh in Beijing 2008 and Mary Kom in London 2012.

Hailing from the small village of Bara Mukhia in Assam, Lovlina’s boxing journey began after seeing American boxer Muhammad Ali in a newspaper in class 5. Though initially trained in Muay Thai, she caught the eye of boxing coach Padum Boron, who brought her to Guwahati.

Until Lovlina’s Tokyo Olympics win, Baro Mukhia lacked water, roads, and electricity. Her victory spurred a complete transformation of the village. 

This is her story.

Her parents were pitied for not having sons

According to The Wire, Lovlina’s father earned just Rs 4,000 a month and supported the family on this modest income. While local attitudes initially resisted women in boxing, Lovlina’s Olympic bronze win led to widespread celebration across the village. 

But she shares how her family, including her two elder sisters, Licha and Lima, who are now serving the nation as soldiers in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Border Security Force (BSF), has been her pillar of support.

“I remember how in the village they would often pity my parents for having no sons but three daughters. My mother would always tell us to do something to prove the critics wrong, and we did,” she shared with The Indian Express after being awarded an Arjuna award in 2020.

How the journey began

Lovlina started boxing in 2012 when coach Padum Boron invited her to Guwahati. She initially managed on a sparse diet and her father had to borrow money to support her. With no equipment available, she used empty LPG cylinders for training.

However, after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where she won a bronze medal, she was able to buy a flat in Guwahati.

Lovlina’s former coach Sandhya Gurung told ESPN that when she started coaching Lovlina, she had talent but was fearful. She would perform well against weaker opponents but would panic under real pressure, she noted.

Gurung saw Lovlina’s potential and pushed her to aim for the next Olympics. To show her dedication, Lovlina trimmed her long hair to improve her performance and shaved it all off in 2018. Gurung worked with Lovlina to sharpen her jab, a key tool for both attacking and defending. She also taught Lovlina how to control her fear during close fights.

Lovlina’s impressive boxing career also includes a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Games, along with gold medals at the 2022 Asian Boxing Championships and the 2023 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. 

Edited by Padmashree Pande.

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