Guwahati | Assam boxer Lovlina Borgohain celebrated her birthday with a historic gold medal, defeating China’s Bao Ziyi 5-0 in the women’s 75kg boxing final at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday.

The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist produced a dominant performance at the Nishio Gymnasium to secure India’s gold medal in the event. Bao, the reigning 2026 Asian Championships gold medallist, was beaten by a unanimous decision in the final.

The victory made Lovlina only the second Indian woman boxer to win an Asian Games gold medal, after legendary boxer Mary Kom, who achieved the feat at the 2014 Asian Games. The gold also marked a step up from Lovlina’s performance at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, where she won a silver medal.

Lovlina’s path to the top of the podium included three victories against strong opponents. She began her campaign with a convincing 5-0 win over South Korea’s Seong Suyeon in the quarterfinals, securing her place in the medal rounds. The Assam boxer then faced Kazakhstan’s reigning world champion Natalya Bogdanova in the semifinals. In a closely fought contest, Lovlina prevailed 3-2 in a split decision to book her place in the final.

She completed the campaign with another emphatic performance against Bao, securing the gold with a unanimous 5-0 verdict. The triumph adds another major achievement to Lovlina’s international career, which already includes an Olympic bronze medal and an Asian Games silver.

Birthday gold draws praise from Assam

Lovlina’s achievement prompted celebrations in Assam, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma congratulating the boxer on her historic performance. Sarma described the gold medal as a special birthday gift for Lovlina and said the achievement had brought pride to Assam and the country.

“Our Golden Girl punches it off in style. Congratulations Lovlina Borgohain on bagging GOLD in the 75kg Boxing category at the Asian Games,” Sarma said in a post on the microblogging platform.

He added that winning the highest honour for the country on her birthday was a memorable achievement and said Assam was looking forward to welcoming the boxer back home.

Lovlina’s gold has now placed her alongside Mary Kom as the only Indian women boxers to have won Asian Games gold, giving Assam another major sporting milestone on the continental stage.