Lovlina Borgohain is competing for the first time since winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.© AFP
Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain on Monday defeated former champion Chen Nien-Chin in the light middleweight division to enter the round of 16 of the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul. Returning to competitive boxing for the first time since a podium finish at the Tokyo Games last year, Lovlina (70kg) won by a 3-2 split decision against the Chinese Taipei boxer, who defeated her in the semi-finals of the 2018 edition. Was. This is Lovlina’s second win on the chain. The Indian had outperformed him in the Tokyo Olympics quarter-finals on his way to a bronze medal.
The 24-year-old Assam boxer, who has two bronze medals in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the tournament, will now take on three-time national champion Cindy Ngamba of England in the round of 16.
Both the boxers began the proceedings carefully keeping their distance from each other. Lovlina soon started attacking with her long arms but Chen put up a good defense.
In the second round, both the boxers hit a few punches.
Chen, who won gold and bronze medals at the World Championships in 2018 and 2016 respectively, tried to attack in the third round but the fast-paced Indian managed to block with a good defense technique and result in a nail-biting match in her own right. bowed down. Favor.
On the second day, Neetu, the lone Indian boxer in action, will open her challenge in the opening round of 48kg against Steluta Duta of Romania.
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Four Indians – Shiksha (54kg), Manisha (57kg), Ankushita (66kg) and Nandini (+81kg) – got byes in their opening rounds.
In the previous edition of the World Championships held in Russia in 2019, Indian boxers won one silver and three bronze medals.
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