Lovlina hints at bowing out of boxing with podium finish at 2028 LA Games
Liverpool World Championships on Sept 4 mark Lovlina’s comeback, powered by endurance training & opponent analysis
A file image of Lovlina Borgohain. (Photo:X)
New Delhi, Aug 31: Lovlina Borgohain had considered retiring from boxing to focus on her academy, but she set aside such thoughts after missing out on a medal at Paris Games.
The Assam boxer, instead, has now trained her sights on a second Olympic podium as she gears up for her international comeback at the upcoming World Championships.
The Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist has been away from international competition since the Paris Games last August. In the time away from the ring, she focused on setting up her academy, which was inaugurated in June in Guwahati.
"When I thought about starting my academy, I had planned to play until Paris (Olympics), and then maybe quit playing. But the result in Paris wasn't what I had expected. Had I won a medal there, that could have been my farewell," Lovlina said.
"I could have won gold in the Paris Olympics as well because all those women who stood on the podium, I have beaten them all before," she said with a hint of regret.
In the French capital, the 27-year-old came agonisingly close to winning back-to-back Olympic medals but lost in the quarterfinals of the women's middleweight (75kg) division to eventual champion Li Qian of China.
Asked if the 2028 Los Angeles Games could be her farewell if she finishes on the podium there, Lovlina was candid, "Yes, that is possible."
Her comeback will begin at the World Championships in Liverpool on September 4.
But the reigning 75kg world champion, already a three-time Worlds medallist, admitted limited preparation, having played only one national-level tournament to make the road steeper.
She is focusing on building endurance and strength while also analysing her opponents.
"I'll be competing internationally after a long break. I got only a month to prepare, so I have been working on endurance and also on strength,” she said.
The tournament will also be significant as it is the first World Championships under the aegis of the new global governing body, World Boxing.
The ace boxer believes in giving back to her country and state. “There won’t just be one Lovlina from Assam, but many. I always dreamt of contributing to the nation. Boxing has given me so much, and this is my first step towards giving back,” she concluded.
PTI