It was a birthday to remember for Lovlina Borgohain, who scripted history by winning the women’s 75kg gold medal at the Asian Games 2026.
On her birthday, the Indian boxer defeated China’s Ziyi Bao by unanimous decision in the final to claim her maiden Asian Games gold. The victory also made Lovlina the first Indian woman boxer since MC Mary Kom in 2014 to win an Asian Games gold medal.
The gold is particularly significant for Lovlina, who had won silver at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou. She had already made history before the final by becoming the first Indian woman boxer to reach two consecutive Asian Games finals.
Lovlina’s road to the final included a closely fought 3-2 victory over Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova in the semifinals. That win guaranteed her at least a silver medal and set up another opportunity to improve on her previous Asian Games performance.
The victory against Bao completed that journey in spectacular fashion, giving India its 12th gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games.
Lovlina’s triumph also adds another major international achievement to an already decorated career. The Assam-born boxer is an Olympic bronze medallist and a former world champion, and her latest Asian Games gold adds another milestone to her record.
For Indian women’s boxing, the victory ends a wait dating back to Mary Kom’s gold in 2014.
And for Lovlina, the timing could hardly have been more special: she turned 29 on October 2, celebrating her birthday by standing on top of the Asian Games podium.
