Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina wants to take up professional boxing after Paris 2024

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain on Friday said she wants to take up professional boxing after Paris 2024.

Lovlina Borgohain on Friday said she wants to take up professional boxing after Paris 2024.

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain on Friday said she wants to take up professional boxing soon. “It’s my dream to do well as a professional boxer. There aren’t too many Indian women in professional boxing. So, I want to leave a mark there as well,” Lovlina said on the sidelines of Sportstar’s North-East Sports Conclave.

“But I want to win an Olympic gold at Paris 2024 first,” she added.

Lovlina became the third Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal, after Vijender Singh (men’s middleweight bronze, Beijing 2008) and M. C. Mary Kom (women’s flyweight bronze, London 2012). Hailing from the Golaghat district of Assam, the 24-year-old Lovlina, who started as a kickboxer, said there has been a slew of changes in her hometown since her Tokyo heroics.

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“A new stadium is coming up, so that’s great news for all the kids in my area. There has been an influx of kids, so much so that we are wondering where to train them till such time the stadium is ready (smiles). So, if one medal can usher in so much change, imagine what a medal glut could do to Assam.”

Lovlina feels the future of women’s sport, including boxing, is bright in India. “Many girls are taking up boxing, working hard at it. This time, women did well at the Olympics too. The mindset is changing. Parents are allowing their daughters to participate as well. That’s a big plus,” she said. Watch the full Conclave here: