Lovlina eyes 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after Asian Games gold
Boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who won gold at the 2026 Asian Games, says her focus is now on the 2028 Olympics, with the 2027 World Boxing Championships her first chance.
Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain won the gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games. She has now turned her full attention to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Her first chance to earn a place at the Olympics will be the 2027 World Boxing Championships.
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has decided that Asian Games medal winners will go straight into the World Boxing Championships 2027. The championships will be held in Kazakhstan and are the official qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Lovlina wants to make full use of the opportunity to secure her Olympic place as early as possible.
Speaking to a news agency on Sunday, Lovlina said she always tries to earn eligibility in the first qualification. In her view, that is good for any athlete. Citing the hockey team, she said the team now has plenty of time to prepare for the Olympics. Her aim is therefore to gain eligibility in the first qualification and to produce good results.
The direct benefit of early eligibility is that Lovlina and other successful boxers will get as much time as possible for specialised Olympic preparation. For athletes who understand the demands of the sport in advance, securing the Olympic ticket early will be essential.
The Asian Games win has strengthened Lovlina's confidence. Leaving the bitter memories of Paris behind, she wants to enjoy what is happening in her life right now. She says she had not planned for this. She won at this moment, it is her medal and she just wants to enjoy it. She has no one to answer to and nothing to prove. She says everyone works hard.
Lovlina said heavyweight and lightweight boxers work equally hard. Sometimes a medal comes and sometimes it does not, but the effort never falls short. She knows everyone is in camp and every athlete works very hard. In her view, the athletes' mindset has changed somewhere. They have the strength to be winners, and that is why they are playing well.
Speaking of her Asian Games medal, Lovlina said these were proud moments for the country and the most special moments for her. When she held the medal and the national anthem began to play, she was overcome with emotion. In her view, it is for such moments that an athlete works tirelessly through a career and faces many challenges.
