Indian boxing star and Olympic bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) experienced a shocking exit during the opening round of the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament this Monday. Competing in the pre-quarterfinals against Ireland’s O’Rourke Aoife, Lovlina was disqualified just over a minute into the third round. The referee's decision followed a third warning issued to the 26-year-old for aggressive grappling. This unexpected loss came as a blow to her supporters, who are accustomed to seeing the Indian stalwart deliver commanding performances.
Indian star boxer Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), an Olympic bronze medalist, suffered a shock loss by disqualification to Ireland’s O’Rourke Aoife in the first round of the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament on Monday. The match referee disqualified Borgohain 1 minute and 18 seconds into the third round of the pre-quarterfinal battle after the 26-year-old Indian boxer received her third warning for aggressive grappling. Borgohain’s loss was a shock to the Indian fans as the Indian stalwart is very well known for her brilliant performances and amazing wins.
Despite having already qualified for the upcoming Paris Games, Lovlina struggled with discipline in this match. She actually won the first two rounds 3-2, but because a point was deducted in each, she found herself behind with only three minutes remaining. As Aoife ramped up the pressure, Lovlina attempted to fight from the outside, but her punches lacked precision. Her habit of clinching throughout the fight eventually caught up with her, resulting in the disqualification.
In better news for India, world champions Nikhat Zareen (50kg) and Sakshi Chaudhary (57kg) both won their opening matches. Nikhat overcame Mongolia’s Oyuntsetseg Yesugen in a tight 3-2 battle. It was a brutal encounter from the start, with both athletes throwing powerful shots and fighting for every inch of the ring. In the end, the defending world champion's resilience paid off. Nikhat is now set to face France's Lkhadiri Wassila in the quarterfinals this Thursday, February 8.
Sakshi's victory was more one-sided. She completely overwhelmed Algeria’s Selmouni Chahira, utilizing superior reflexes and sudden, sharp attacks to dominate the ring. Sakshi cruised to a 5-0 unanimous decision, comfortably securing her place in the next round. Her quarterfinal opponent on Thursday will be Khumorabonu Mamajonova from Uzbekistan.
Preeti Pawar (54kg), who previously earned bronze at the Asian Games, was unfortunately eliminated after a narrow 2-3 loss to Ireland’s Fay Niamh. The match was competitive through the first two rounds, though Fay held the early advantage. Preeti staged a spirited comeback in the final round, winning it decisively across all five judges' scorecards, but it wasn't enough to overturn the deficit from the earlier rounds.
Earlier on Sunday, Jugnoo (86kg) progressed to the quarterfinals after a 3-2 win over Ukraine's Kocharian Ashot; he will fight Uzbekistan’s Djalolov Samandar on Thursday. Looking ahead to Tuesday, February 6, three more Indian men begin their journey in the round of 16: Sachin (57kg) takes on Uzbekistan’s Fayzov Khudoynazar, Vanshaj (63.5kg) battles Iran’s Habibinezhad Ali, and Sagar (92+kg) goes up against Lithuania's Jazeviciius Jonas.