Lovlina Borgohain advances to quarters; one win away from second Olympic medal

NEW DELHI: Lovlina Borgohain, the bronze medalist from the Tokyo Olympics in the 69kg category, started her journey towards a second consecutive Olympic medal with a dominant performance on Wednesday.She defeated Sunniva Hofstad of Norway in a unanimous 5-0 decision in her first 75kg bout of the competition, PTI reported.With this victory, Borgohain finds herself just one win away from securing a medal and achieving a unique accomplishment in the history of Indian boxing. However, her next challenge will be a formidable one as she is set to face the top-seeded Chinese boxer Li Qian in the quarterfinals on August 4.Should Borgohain emerge victorious in her upcoming bout against Li Qian, she will guarantee herself at least a bronze medal, adding to her impressive collection from the Tokyo Olympics, which she won in the 69kg category.Borgohain displayed a confident and composed demeanor throughout her performance. Despite her opponent's attempts to engage in a brawl, the Indian boxer maintained her poise and range, landing precise strikes on counter-attack.Hofstad's strategy involved frequent clinching, and she appeared to be the more active of the two fighters, albeit with a dangerously low guard. However, Borgohain refused to be lured into the trap.Instead, she employed a tactical approach, enticing the Norwegian to come forward and then unleashing accurate attacks with great timing and precision.Borgohain faces a challenging draw in her upcoming bout. However, her past achievements, particularly her triumph over the world champion Chen Nien-Chin in the Tokyo quarterfinals, which earned her a bronze medal, demonstrate her capability to overcome adversity.On August 4, Borgohain will face Qian, a formidable opponent who secured a silver medal in the middle-weight (75kg) category at the Tokyo Games. Qian's impressive resume also includes a bronze medal from the 2016 Rio Games and a gold medal from the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China.The Indian boxing campaign at the Games has seen mixed results, with three of the six contenders already eliminated from the competition.Among those who exited early are former Asian Games champion Amit Panghal (51kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), and Jaismine Lamboria (57kg).Still in contention, alongside Lovlina Borgohain, are debutants Nikhat Zareen, the reigning world champion in the women's 50kg category, and Nishant Dev in the men's 71kg category.