Birthday girl Lovlina makes history with gold, joins Mary Kom in elite club

India's Lovlina Borgohain celebrates after winning a gold-medal bout against China's Ziyi Bao. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHi: Birthday girl Lovlina Borgohain gave herself the perfect gift on Friday, scripting history by becoming only the second Indian woman boxer to win an Asian Games gold medal after the legendary MC Mary Kom.The 29-year-old Indian defeated China's Ziyi Bao 5-0 in a closely contested women's 75kg final in Aichi-Nagoya to finally add the Asian Games gold to the silver she won at the previous edition.

Lovlina's triumph also ended a wait that began in Hangzhou, where she had reached the final but lost to another Chinese boxer, Li Qian, to settle for silver.On Friday, however, there was no denying her.Asian Games Full Coverage | Medal Tally | Schedule

Lovlina holds nerve in tight final

The Indian made a confident start to the final, edging the opening round 3-2 on the judges' scorecards.

Bao responded with an aggressive approach in the second, forcing Lovlina into a more defensive mode as the two boxers engaged in a series of exchanges in the middle of the ring.Despite the pressure, Lovlina remained composed and finished the round strongly. She won it 4-1 to stretch her overall advantage to 2-0 heading into the final round.With the gold within touching distance, Lovlina produced another controlled performance in the third.

She again won the round 4-1 to complete a comprehensive 5-0 verdict and claim the biggest title of her Asian Games career.The victory was particularly significant given the quality of opposition she had overcome on her way to the final.In the semifinal, Lovlina edged reigning 70kg world champion Natalya Bogdanova of Kazakhstan 3-2 in another closely fought contest.

India's Lovlina Borgohain celebrates after winning against China's Bao Ziyi. (Reuters Photo)

From silver in Hangzhou to historic gold

In the semis, Lovlina had struggled to find her rhythm in the opening round against Bogdanova and went behind 2-3 on the judges' cards.

She changed gears in the second, becoming more aggressive and landing cleaner punches to dominate the round 5-0.Bogdanova came forward again in the decider, while Lovlina relied on her defence and counter-attacks. The Kazakh edged the round 3-2, but Lovlina's advantage from the second round proved decisive.

She secured the split-decision victory after three of the five judges scored the bout in her favour, booking her place in a second successive Asian Games final.That achievement had already made Lovlina the first Indian woman boxer to reach back-to-back Asian Games finals. Her gold on Friday now puts her alongside Mary Kom, who won the women's flyweight gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.India's boxing campaign has already surpassed its medal tally from Hangzhou. The country had won four medals at the 2023 edition, including one silver and three bronze. This time, Indian boxers have already secured six medals, with two more gold-medal opportunities remaining on Friday.Parveen Hooda will fight for gold in the 65kg category, while Ankush Panghal will contest the 80kg final later in the day.