Guwahati, July 31: She was composed and calm. Lovlina Borgohain didn't seem to be distracted by all the hues and cries around after she confirmed an Olympic medal in Tokyo on Friday.
"I will thank everyone after the final," a smiling Lovlina told a group of Indian journalists who connected to her through a zoom press conference after the bout.
With this confirmed medal at the Olympics, the Golaghat girl has scripted history. She is the first female athlete from Assam and now the only Assamese to win a medal at the Greatest Show on Earth.
Lovlina defeated Chinese Taipei's Nien Chin Chen in the women's 69kg welterweight quarterfinal by 4-1.
"I will go for Gold. Hopefully I can achieve that," the 23-year-old added.
Lovlina who was also joined by coaches Santiago Nieva, Raffaele Bergamasco and Mohammed Ali Qamar said that today's bout was a great opportunity for revenge.
"I have lost to her four times. So, I wanted to prove myself. This was the moment and I left nothing," she said.
Continuing her analysis, Lovlina said that she didn't go to the bout with a certain strategy. "There was nothing as such. I was prepared to tackle any kind of situation. I just played freely and enjoyed my game. I knew the entire country was praying for me and the outcome was great. I feel great," she said.
The fearlessness:
How Lovlina has become so fearless?
"Earlier, I used to be a little nervous and fear was there. But it has changed. I started to believe in myself and continued to work hard," she reckoned.
"The fear is gone now. I have stopped caring about what others say, that's how I became fearless."
Today, before she entered the ring she recalled the journey of the last eight years during which she aspired to win a medal in the Olympics.
"Ever since I started boxing, I have wanted to win an Olympic medal. I had sacrificed a lot," Lovlina said. For the rest of her story, she said, "It is a long one, I will tell after grabbing the gold."
A fan of boxing great Muhammad Ali, Lovlina used to watch his videos before going to the ring.
"Every boxer has different styles. But I follow his footwork and long punch. I have watched his videos before the competition," she added.
