Asian Games, boxing: Preeti wins bronze; Lovlina confirms Olympic berth
Indian star pugilist Lovlina Borgohain has progressed to the final of the women's 75kg at the 2023 Asian Games on Tuesday. With this win, Lovlina has confirmed her berth at the Paris Olympics next year. She defeated Thailand's Baison Maneekon by a unanimous 5-0 scoreline. Meanwhile, Preeti Pawar had to settle for bronze after losing in the women's 54kg semi-final against China's Chang Yuan.
Lovlina combined her attack with defence brilliantly
Lovlina started the first round very defensively and opted for a wait-and-watch approach. She gradually struck some blows and eventually earned the first round. The Thai boxer retaliated with an excellent second round, which brought the score to a split, putting more pressure on the Indian. However, a flawless third round was enough for Lovlina to progress to the finals.
Valiant Preeti goes down against a superior Chinese opponent
Preeti, who had secured her Paris Olympics berth with a win in the quarter-finals, went down against home favorite Chang. Preeti tried her best but lost out against the reigning flyweight champion, who showed her experience and skill in the ring. Chang defeated Preeti with a unanimous 5-0 scoreline, but there were sparks of brilliance from the young Indian pugilist.
Four female boxers have secured Paris Olympics berth
It was Nikhat Zareen, who first assured her 2024 Olympic berth by reaching the semi-finals. She lost out in the semi-final and finished with a bronze medal. Similarly, Parveen Hooda also reached the semi-finals and secured the Paris Olympics ticket for next year. Preeti also secured the golden opportunity to feature at the Summer Games next year followed by Tokyo bronze medallist, Lovlina.
Lovlina became World Champion after enduring a tough Commonwealth Games
People had high expectations from Lovlina heading into the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but she faltered in the quarter-finals, losing to Welsh boxer Rosie Eccles. However, she retaliated with a gold medal at the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi. Lovlina was among the four Indian female boxers to win the gold. She also won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Boxing Championships.
She won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics
The 26-year-old grabbed the headlines with her performance at the Tokyo Olympics, where she won the bronze. Lovlina dramatically reached the semi-finals but went down against the eventual gold medallist Busenaz Sürmeneli of Turkey. She bagged the only boxing medal that India secured in Tokyo.
