Tokyo Olympics: Lovlina Borgohain settles for bronze after semi-final loss

Lovlina Borgohain fought hard but the young Indian boxer settled for bronze at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday (August 4). Borgohain lost the welterweight semi-final bout to top seed Busenaz Surmeneli by unanimous decision. (Tokyo 2020 full coverage)

The first round saw Borgohain come out swinging early on. The Indian was clearly not intimidated by the top seed and went on the offence. Indeed, the first two minutes saw Borgohain on top.

However, the round swung in the final minute. Surmeneli managed to get close and land more than a few hefty blows. As such, the round went the way of the Turkish boxer.

It was more of the same in the second round. Lovlina dominated the first minute and a half before Surmeneli came back. The second round also went to the top seed on scores.

Lovlina, knowing a stoppage was the only way to win, came out even harder in the final round. The strategy did not work and was counter-productive, as Borgohain took a few blows on the counter.

The Indian came out bravely but in the end the task at hand was too much. Surmeneli walked out the dominant victor on the day.

India at the Tokyo Olympics

The Tokyo Olympics, which was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now up and running. The Games have not been without their share of controversies, however.

The event is happening despite plenty of protests from the Japanese people against it. And the angst is not without reason. Tokyo is currently in a state of emergency due to a rise in COVID cases.

The Games will by and large be played out in the absence of fans, always a major psychological blow to athletes. There’s also been a number of cases reported in the Olympic village itself.

Nevertheless, the Games remain an event that many around the world will be keen to watch. From July 23 to August 8, many will be hooked onto their televisions to follow the events.