Want to use sports as a tool to empower children in remote villages: Lovlina Borgohain

‘Meditation making a difference,’ Tokyo 2020 boxing bronze medallist talks about her preparation for Paris Olympics in a fresh episode of Fit India Champions podcast

Fit India Champions podcast host Ekta Vishnoi with Olympic boxing medallist Lovlina Borgohain. 

Khel Today Bureau 

New Delhi: She started her sports journey as a Muay Thai (kick boxing) exponent. In her first age-group national-level boxing tournament when she was just 14, she “found it difficult not to use her feet against opponents.” She went on to become an Olympic medallist in Tokyo 2020. Boxing has given her an identity and all the accolades she has won in life so far. Lovlina Borgohain now wants to use sports to empower disadvantaged children in remote villages in Assam and North-East India because “they need to see and face the world and without fear.”

In a freewheeling chat in the latest episode of the ‘Fit India Champions’ podcast series released on Saturday, Lovlina Borgohain, who was born in a remote hamlet called Boromukhia in the Golaghat district of Assam, talks on her love for “rasgullas” and how she manages to stay away from temptations and focus on her intense training with Paris Olympics just months away. The full episode of the podcast can be seen here. 

The ‘Fit India Champions’ podcast series is aimed at spreading the message on wellness through conversations with athletes and health influencers. The 10-episode series is in partnership with GOQii, a major stakeholder in the fitness sector that proactively manages health through its digital and multimedia technology. 

Inspired by her father to pursue boxing as a career, Lovlina won the women’s 69 kg (welterweight) bronze on her Olympics debut in Tokyo. The tall and feisty Assamese girl was pummeled by Turkey’s 2019 world champion and eventual gold medallist Busenaz Surmeneli in the semi-finals but reaching the top four in Tokyo was enough for a bronze. Lovlina became the second Indian woman to win an Olympic boxing medal after MC Mary Kom’s bronze in London 2012. 

Emerging from a humble family, Lovlina Borgohain’s childhood was a challenging one. Grit and conviction came naturally to her. Those qualities continue to reflect in her boxing career, peppered with injuries. She has already qualified to represent India at the Paris Olympics in July-August this year.

Having achieved one her goals in life to become a police officer, Lovlina, to be 27 on October 2 this year, wants to ride her life’s lesson and contribute for the greater good of children in Assam’s remote villages.

“I am not sure if I want to continue boxing after Paris Olympics but I have a bigger mission going forward. There are many (backward) villages in Assam and north-east where it’s not easy to emerge from acute poverty. I am a classic example. 

“Nobody knew my village, there were no roads, no drinking water and no good schools. But when I became somebody in boxing, everything changed. I want to use sports to enhance the lives of children who are underprivileged. There are so many needy people looking for an opportunity to shine. Sports is that medium which can make a difference and I want to explore that,” said Lovlina.

For now, Paris Olympics remain Lovlina’s primary focus. “I have always been injury prone. Tokyo was a challenge because I was carrying a serious foot injury. But that injury made me tougher in mind. I had to win a medal. I am going to carry that same mindset in Paris but with a difference. 

“Meditation has helped me control my mind, praying to Ma Durga has given me inner peace and all that contributes to good results,” said Lovlina, who won the 75 kg (middleweight) world championship gold in 2023, after clinching bronze medals in 2018 and 2019.

“I have a couple of bad tournaments after the world championships. Meditation has helped me stay focused and positive. It’s important to shun the negativity. I am working hard on the tactical mistakes I have committed in Tokyo and the tournaments after that. I am more confident now and I hope to do my best in Paris,” said the Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather fan. 

About Fit India Mission 

Launched on August 29, 2019, by the Honourable Prime Minister of India, the Fit India Movement is a national effort aimed at making fitness a ubiquitous aspect of every Indian’s daily life. The initiative seeks to instill behavioural changes and foster a physically active lifestyle across the country. The objectives of this movement are promoting Fitness by positioning it as an accessible, enjoyable, and cost-free aspect of life. Raising awareness about fitness and physical activities through targeted campaigns is a major goal of this movement. The Fit India Movement represents a comprehensive effort to integrate fitness into the daily lives of Indians. Through its diverse initiatives and widespread participation, it aims to build a healthier and more active nation.