Backed by some good preparation, world champion Lovlina Borgohain executed her plan well to record a comprehensive 5-0 win over 2022 World junior champion Sunniva Hofstad of Norway in a round of 16 boxing match of the Olympics at the North Paris Arena here on Wednesday.
A big test awaits Lovlina, a bronze medallist in the Tokyo Olympics in the 69kg category, as she will take on old rival and top-seeded Chinese star Li Qian, a double Olympic medallist, a triple world championships medallist and the current Asian Games champion, in a crucial quarterfinal contest on Sunday.
Presenting an improved version of her game, the eighth-seeded Lovlina, who had a lower back issue during the pre-Olympics camp in Saarbrucken, showed no signs of discomfort as she smilingly jogged her way to the blue corner and looked eager to get on with her first fight.
With clarity of thought and a confident demeanour, the Indian launched attacks to take early advantage. Her left-right combinations put pressure on the Norwegian, who tried to land some counters to tackle the lanky Indian.
After claiming the first round with clean shots, Lovlina maintained her long range and made an effective use of her precise left jab, which has gained power over time, to keep Sunniva at a safe distance.
The way Lovlina bent a bit to find openings in her opponent’s defence reminded one of the stylish Akhil Kumar at his peak.
The other facet of Lovlina’s game was the better use of her right hand, which looked more free and active than before and gave her an added advantage.
For Lovlina, the second round was more about balancing her attack and defence. Her movement and evading tactics helped her stay out of the Norwegian’s grasp and consolidate her lead.
Even as Sunniva tried to bridge the gap between the two in her bid to catch up, Lovlina, amid loud ‘India, India’ chants from the stands, continued to hit and move in the final round before getting a step closer to securing her second medal and scripting history.
Knowing the importance of keeping her focus on the big task in hand after four days, 26-year-old Lovlina, who lost to Li Qian in their last two meetings in the finals of the Asian Games in October and the Grand Prix 2024 in mid-June, chose to keep all distractions at bay as she passed by the waiting mediapersons without entertaining any requests of post-match interactions.
Worlds bronze medalist Nishant Dev (71kg), who got a first round bye, recorded a hard fought 3-2 win over Ecuador’s seventh-seeded Jose Tenorio Rodriguez, a Pan American silver medalist, to move into the quarterfinals.
Nishant delivered accurate and powerful combinations on Rodriguez to stay ahead. Even as the Ecuadorian threw strong challenge in the final round, the Indian emerged as the winner.
Nishant will meet Pan American Games champion Marco Alvarez, the second seeded boxer from Mexico, next.
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