New Delhi – On the occasion of her 29th birthday, Lovlina Borgohain delivered a historic performance, seizing the gold medal in the women’s 75 kg category at the 2026 Asian Games after a unanimous 5‑0 verdict over China’s Bao Jiyi.

Dominating the Championship Bout

Bao Jiyi launched the encounter with high pressure, yet Lovlina remained composed, exploiting distance and timing to pepper her opponent with crisp counters. As the fight progressed, she systematically dismantled any rhythm Bao tried to establish, earning the clean sweep from all five judges.

India’s First Gold in the 75 kg Division

This victory marks the inaugural Asian Games gold for India in the women’s 75 kg class. Earlier editions only produced bronze medals – Kavita Goyat in Guangzhou 2010 and Pooja Rani in Incheon 2014. Lovlina herself upgraded her own record, moving from a bronze in 2018, to silver in the 2022 Hangzhou Games, and now to gold.

Following in Mary Kom’s Footsteps

With this triumph, Lovlina becomes the second Indian woman boxer to claim Asian Games gold, after Mary Kom’s 2014 win in the 51 kg division. She also joins the exclusive group of athletes who have collected both silver and gold medals at the Games.

A Tough Semifinal Battle

The road to the final was anything but easy. In the semifinal, she faced Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova. After a tentative start, Lovlina raised her output, turning a close 3‑2 split‑decision into a win that made her the first Indian woman boxer to reach two consecutive Asian Games finals.

From Olympic Bronze to World Champion

Her résumé sparkles with World Championship bronzes (2018, 2019), an Olympic bronze from Tokyo 2020 in the 69 kg class, and a seamless transition to 75 kg where she captured gold at the 2022 Asian Boxing Championships and the 2023 World Championships. She also added silver medals at the 2022 Asian Games and the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The Indian government has honoured her with the Arjuna Award (2020), the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2021), and an appointment as Deputy Superintendent of Police in Assam (2022).

Impact on India’s Medal Tally

Lovlina’s gold pushes India’s count at the 2026 Asian Games to 12 golds out of a total of 70 medals (12 gold, 24 silver, 34 bronze), reinforcing the nation’s dominance across archery, shooting, athletics, kabaddi and cricket.