Commonwealth Games: With no pressure on the podium, boxer Lovlina aims for gold

“Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise for all my hard work,” breathed boxer Lovlina Borgohain ahead of her first bout at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist has yet to win a CWG medal, something she is now certain of even in the most unlikely of circumstances.

Now 28, Lovlina is already guaranteed a medal after reaching the semi-finals. The direct passage was a surprise for the boxer, who had to go several bouts without reaching the podium in each of her previous Commonwealth Games campaigns.

“It was shocking news for me too. I never thought I would get straight to the semi-finals because in the last two Commonwealth Games I didn’t even have a medal and I had to fight four or five matches,” Lovlina said on Friday.

LOVLINA GOES FOR GOLD

The guaranteed podium also changed her mindset towards the competition. Instead of carrying the burden of chasing a medal, Lovlina said she now has the freedom to focus solely on winning gold.

“Now there is no pressure for medals. I have to fight for gold. If I can win gold for my country, it will make me happy,” she said.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES DAY 2: INDIA WRAP

The bye is a welcome change for the Assamese boxer, whose journey since the Paris Olympics has been anything but straightforward. After failing in Paris, Lovlina admitted that she even questioned whether she should continue boxing before deciding to persevere.

“I changed a lot after the Paris Olympics. I played a lot of competitions, including the World Championships. I was confused whether to continue playing or not, but I continued. Then I started training back to back and started winning medals,” she said.

Those performances gradually restored her confidence and Lovlina believes the preparations leading up to Glasgow have set her up for another big title challenge.

VIDEO | Glasgow, Scotland: India’s Lovlina Borgohain says with a medal already guaranteed before the blow, she could go for the only prize she really wants at the Commonwealth Games, gold. The Olympic bronze medalist from Tokyo advanced pic.twitter.com/b2y0inkRCg— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 24, 2026

CONFIDENCE IS KEY: LOVLINA

The Indian boxing team traveled to Belfast for a training camp before arriving in Scotland and Lovlina credited the practice block for honing her game.

“We had a training camp in Belfast. The training and sparring went well so I believe I can win gold here,” she said.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES DAY 3: INDIA’S SCHEDULE

If the results go as planned, Lovlina is expected to face Australia’s Emma-Sue Greentree, a two-time bronze medalist at the World Championships, in the gold medal clash. Although the two have never faced each other in competition, the Indian believes the outcome will depend more on her own mindset than her opponent’s.

“I haven’t played against Emma yet. But the thing with me is that I can win against anyone when I’m fully confident, but sometimes I can also lose to a very weak boxer. If everything works out, I can take her down,” she said.

Lovlina also welcomed the return of head coach Santiago Nieva, who returned to Indian boxing earlier this year after previously leading the team during the Tokyo Olympics.

“We also had sparring sessions with her. Mr. Santiago is a great coach. He was with us at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and his training is very good,” said Lovlina.

With a Commonwealth Games medal already in the bag, all that’s left to decide is its shade. And for the first time in her CWG career, Lovlina enters the ring knowing she has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

25 Jul 2026 08:01 IST