Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain says continuing her boxing career after the Paris Games is one of her biggest achievements, having battled injuries, self-doubt and a difficult phase over the past year.

Speaking after the Indian contingent met Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya following India's record haul of 10 boxing medals at the Commonwealth Games, the 28-year-old reflected on the challenges she faced after Paris.

She had made a quarterfinal exit at the 2024 Games.

"First of all, it was a big deal for me to continue for such a long time. There were many ups and downs after the Paris Olympics. There were many questions as to whether I wanted to continue or not. But I came back and continued. That is a big deal for me," Lovlina told PTI Videos.

Making her third Commonwealth Games appearance, Lovlina won her first CWG medal — a silver. She was happy with the result, even though she had hoped to finish with gold.

"I have won medals in almost all games and competitions. But yes, it would have been better if I had won gold. I am very happy for my team because they have done so well. Seven golds is a big thing for all of us. I am ready for the Asian Games as well. I have to do better and win gold," she said.

India's foreign coach Santiago Nieva hailed the team's performance as a landmark achievement.

"It was a historic result for us. We had some great performances. It gives us a lot of confidence going into the next competitions."

He singled out Sakshi's triumph in the women's 51kg category as an example of India's extraordinary depth.

"Going into this competition, I was feeling that in women's 51kg we needed to get a gold medal because just to qualify here, in the selection trials we had three world champions and a couple of youth world champions. It was an extremely strong field and she came through there.

"She had a very strong opponent from England in the final, but the way Sakshi boxed and showed her experience looks very promising for the future."

Looking ahead, Nieva said the focus would quickly shift to the Asian Games and the Olympic qualification cycle.

World champion Jaismine Lamboria, who recovered from illness just weeks before the Games, said the title reinforced her long-term ambition.

"The main target is the same, LA 2028. Every player keeps improving. We will keep improving."

Asked whether entering the Commonwealth Games as the reigning world champion added pressure, Lamboria said the tag actually inspired her to overcome her health setback.

"It motivated me a lot. I was not in a position to do well. I trained for just three weeks. I had to recover and perform," she said.

Published - August 06, 2026 01:23 am IST