India's Lovlina Borgohain had to settle for the silver medal after she lost to Li Qian of China in the 66-74kg boxing event of the Asian Games 2023 on Wednesday, October 4. Her opponent secured a 5-0 victory on the basis of points as the team is set to secure India's 73rd medal of the event.
At the Asian Games, Tokyo Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain had to be content with a silver medal after a subdued performance, bringing India's boxing campaign to a close with a total of five medals.
Parveen Hooda faced challenges due to her height difference against Lin Yu Ting, the two-time world champion from Chinese Taipei, in the women's 57kg semifinal, ultimately securing a bronze.
Borgohain's cautious approach in the final led to her defeat. She was outclassed by local favorite and two-time Olympic medallist Li Qian in the 75kg category.
India's boxers concluded their participation with one silver and four bronze medals. In comparison, the previous edition saw India clinching a gold and a bronze.
Post-match, Borgohain reflected, "I did my best, but the gold eluded me. I'm content with how I performed and will aim for a better medal at the Olympics."
She acknowledged her errors, saying, "I played too close to my opponent, which resulted in a point deduction. I'll focus on rectifying these mistakes."
During the gold medal bout, both Borgohain and Qian appeared cautious. Despite being the reigning Asian champion, Borgohain hesitated to launch an offensive. After the referee's intervention, she managed to land a punch. The initial round saw a lot of clinching, with Borgohain receiving two warnings for holding. Qian narrowly won the round with a 3-2 score.
The subsequent round mirrored the first, with both boxers engaging in clinches. Borgohain's passive approach led to a third warning and a subsequent point deduction.
Behind in the initial rounds, Borgohain didn't display the aggression needed to turn the match around, seemingly settling for the silver.
She concluded, "There were many takeaways from this tournament. For me, qualifying for the Olympics was the primary goal, and I'm glad I achieved it."
