Who is Lovlina Borgohain, Indian Boxer Who Will Be the Flagbearer of India’s Contingent at the Asian Games 2023?

From the streets of Assam to finding her calling in sports, Olympic medalist Lovlina Borgohain will be one of the the two flagbearers of India at the Asian Games 2023.

The realm of sports has been dominated by males for a long time. However, things have begun to change. Women’s representation in sports has started to increase and is now inspiring several young girls to pursue their dreams in sports. With the Asian Games beginning on September 23, all eyes are set on the grand Indian contingent that will be led by Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain and Men’s Hockey Team Captain Harampreet Singh at the opening ceremony.

Hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and Olympic medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain will be the flag-bearers of the Indian contingent during the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou on September 23. A total of 655 Indian athletes are competing in the Asian Games this time, which is the largest contingent ever.

Lovlina had won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the 69kg category. This year, she won gold in 75kg category at the World Women’s Boxing Championship in New Delhi.

Meet Lovlina Borgohain, Olympic Medallist Who continue to Make India Proud

Hailing from Assam, Borgohain made India proud as she won the bronze medal in Olympic games. This will be her debut in Asian Games 2023 and will be participating in her first preliminary boxing match for the 75kg category on September 26, 2023.

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The journey from a small village to international podiums, however, took the young boxer much more than four years. Born on October 2, 1997, in a remote hamlet called Baromukhia in the Golaghat district of Assam, Lovlina Borgohain’s family struggled to make ends meet during her childhood.

But that did not stop Lovlina’s father from supporting his children’s sporting ambitions.

The Indian boxer has two elder sisters and all of them embarked on their sports journey with Muay Thai- a form of kickboxing. While her sibling competed at national levels, boxing was the calling for Lovlina.

Why is This Move Important

For the first time in nearly two decades, every participating country will have two flagbearers at the opening ceremony. This is a push to be more gender inclusive and promote gender equality. In a statement, India’s chef-de-mission for the Games, Bhupender Singh Bajway said that this was a gesture to “promote gender equality,” stating that “Harmanpreet is among the leading male hockey players in the world while Lovlina is a reigning world champion.”