Assam: Over 100 players are contesting in the All Assam Inter District Junior (Boys and Girls) Boxing Championship 2024 in the Udalguri district of Assam. This tournament is being judged by Padum Boroh, the trainer who supported Lovlina Borgohain in winning a medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Today, Lovlina is back at the Olympics, this time in Paris. Born in a small village of Baro Mukhia, in the Golaghat district of Assam, Lovlina has become an inspiration to the entire country. The 27-year-old who was once teased for being a girl is now the pride of the area where she was born.
Lovlina Borgohain. Photo: X/@LovlinaBorgohai
In her four-member family, she also has two elder sisters, Licha and Lima, who inspired her to become who she is today. Both her sisters are serving the nation as soldiers in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Border Security Force (BSF), which has also brought pride to the family.
Speaking to The Wire, Lovlina’s father, Tiken Baromukhia, said, “I always used to give her the example of Muhammad Ali. When she won a championship in Kolkata, I motivated her to go for the Olympics. My request clicked, and she made it to the Olympics.”
Her father had never expected that she would bring a medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Lovlina is the first woman from Assam to bring home a gold in the 130-year history of the Olympics and the second after Mary Kom to win a medal in boxing. Lovlina started her journey with Muay Thai – a form of kickboxing – as a teenager and later passed the test to join her trainer, Padum Boron, in Guwahati.
Lovelina’s father, Tiken Baromukhia. Photo: Author provided.
Lovlina’s journey has not been easy. Her father earned only Rs 4,000 a month, supporting the entire family with the modest amount. The people of Baro Mukhia never encouraged their women to contest in boxing. But all objections turned into Bihu-like celebrations when Lovlina won bronze in the Tokyo Olympics.
Lovlina began her boxing career in 2012 after Boron asked her to come to Guwahati to train. She took a general ticket and sat on the train’s floor to reach Guwahati. In her early days, she managed her diet by eating whatever was available, as she couldn’t afford a protein-rich diet.
“I remember once she asked for Rs 10,000 but we didn’t have the money. We borrowed the money from somewhere to meet her needs,” her father recalls.
Photo: Author provided.
As of today, Lovlina has won several significant medals in her boxing career, including:
- Bronze Medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the women’s welterweight category (69kg)
- Bronze Medal at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2018 (New Delhi) and 2019
- Gold Medal at the 2023 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in the middleweight category (75kg)
- Gold Medal at the 1st India Open International Boxing Tournament in 2018
- Gold Medal at the 3rd Elite Women’s National Boxing Championship in 2018
- Gold Medal at the 2022 Asian Boxing Championships in the middleweight category (75kg)
- Silver Medal at the 2023 Asian Games in the middleweight category (75kg)
After her stint at the Tokyo Olympics, Lovlina was also able to buy a flat in Guwahati.
Lack of government support for athletes
Baro Mukhia village lacked water, roads and electricity until Lovlina won the medal in Tokyo. After her win, the village transformed completely. “Pradhanmantri Jal Jeevan Yojna bhi meri beti ke medal jitne ke baad ganv me aaya hai (We got water in the village after she won the medal in the Tokyo Olympics),” said her father.
Padum, in conversation with The Wire, said, “She didn’t know any rules of boxing [when she began] but she was a fast learner. And she went on to break records. I am sure she will bring gold this time.” Padum is now working on other players to form new boxing champions in Udalguri.
Lovlina’s family grew worried after hearing about women wrestlers protesting against the then Wrestling Federation of India chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexually assaulting players. When top Indian Olympic medalists like Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, protested, Lovlina’s father was concerned.
Addressing the issue, he said, “People play for the nation, and such things should not happen to those people. I believe the country has been disgraced by this act. I don’t want to say much on this, but I must say, this should never happen to any women. All of this must stop.”
Struggling to inspire players
About 100 kms away from Guwahati in Udalguri district, players from all over Assam are practicing to be the next Lovlina, Kom or Vijendra Singh. The Wire visited the inter-district tournament, held in an open space with table fans for ventilation. A poster with Lovlina’s picture had everyone’s wishes for her written on it.
Many women boxing fighters told The Wire that they want to be the next Lovlina for Assam. Fifteen-year-old Musahari said, “When Lovlina won a medal for India in the Olympics, I had been boxing for only 2 years. I always watch her photos and videos and get a lot of inspiration from her. I want to make a career in boxing in the future and play at the international level just like her. My message to my idol is, go for gold.”
Boron was at the tournament to teach new techniques to all boxing freshers and was sitting next to the ring, giving marks to the players for their matches. We managed to speak with him for a few minutes. “Lovlina had never played boxing before she joined me in Guwahati but now she has mastered it and I am happy for her.I want to tell Lovelina, you keep playing, I am behind you,” he said.
How tough is it to produce athletes like Lovlina?
The Olympics is 130 years old, but Lovlina was the first to bring an Olympic medal to Assam.
Aakash. Photo: Author provided
Till Lovlina won the Tokyo Olympics, there was not much support from the government for players like her. Today, she is getting full support, including scholarships from the government. The Wire spoke with other trainers in Udalguri to understand the kind of support they receive for their players.
Aakash, a boxing trainer from Golaghat, said, “We don’t get any support from the government. I was training in Kerala since 2016 but I came back to Assam after the lockdown. Here, I have 41 players, aged between 5-20 years. I myself played at the national level. I am training for free without any help from anyone.”
“We get zero support from the government. Many of my players participated in inter-district, state and national tournaments, but we don’t get any support from them. I don’t have a ring to train my players. I have written several times to my politicians and visited them with students’ guardians but they only come to us when they need votes. We are just doing it on our own,” said Aakash.
Another trainer, Ankan Pegu, echoed Aakash’s thoughts. He said, “It took us a day to reach here. On the ground where we practice, we don’t have any ring. We practice in the sand. Three of my players have become state champions but without any support from the government. I request the government to at least send boxing gloves and rings to us.”
These trainers’ experiences highlight the significant challenges faced by aspiring athletes in Assam, where government support remains minimal despite the achievements of players like Lovlina.
Y. Ali is New Delhi-based independent journalist.
