Nishio, Oct 2026 : Indian boxing star Lovlina Borgohain celebrated her 29th birthday in memorable fashion on Friday, clinching a historic gold medal in the women’s 75kg category at the Asian Games 2026 and adding another major achievement to her decorated career.
The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist defeated China’s Bao Ziyi by a unanimous 5-0 decision in the final at the Nishio Gymnasium to become only the second Indian woman boxer to win an Asian Games gold medal. She joined legendary boxer Mary Kom in the exclusive list.
Lovlina, who won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026, produced a controlled and dominant performance against Bao in the title bout. Four judges scored the contest 29-28 in her favour, while the fifth judge gave her a 30-27 scorecard.
The Indian boxer had to work hard in the opening round, which she edged 3-2. However, she raised her intensity and took complete control in the next two rounds, winning both by 4-1 margins. Her precise punches, movement and composure helped her maintain the advantage until the final bell.
Lovlina had earlier secured her place in the final after overcoming Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova in a closely contested semifinal. The Indian prevailed 3-2 on a split decision after trailing narrowly following the opening round.
Her campaign had begun with an impressive 5-0 victory over South Korea’s Seong Suyeon in the quarterfinals, a result that assured her of a medal at the Games.
The gold is India’s first boxing gold medal at the ongoing Asian Games and adds another significant milestone to Lovlina’s international career.
India’s boxing campaign has also received a further boost, with two other pugilists advancing to their respective finals.
Ankush produced a strong comeback to defeat Erkinboev 4-1 in his semifinal. After trailing 1-4 at the end of the opening round, Ankush responded strongly in the second, winning it 3-2 as his punches began finding their mark consistently.
In the women’s 65kg category, Parveen Hooda also booked her place in the final with a convincing 5-0 victory over China’s Li Shu.
Both Ankush and Parveen are set to compete in their gold-medal bouts on Friday, with India hoping to add further boxing gold to its medal tally.
For Lovlina, however, the day belonged to her—a birthday, an Asian Games title and a place alongside one of India’s most celebrated women boxers in the history of the continental event.
