Olympic Bronze Medalist Lovlina Borgohain's Village to Get A Metallic Road, Chief Minister Sarma Says Her Name Will Be Etched In Golden Letters In Assam's History

Boxer Lovlina Borgohain has won India the third medal, a bronze, at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. People and politicians in the state are now working towards honouring her.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said ahead of her contest in the semi-final match that she is the first person from Assam to represent the state in the 125-year history of modern Olympics.

Some basic measures are being initiated after she won the bronze. Construction work on the road to Borgohain's residence in Golaghat district has started. Her entry into the Tokyo Olympics had brought the district and her village into limelight.

Earlier in the day (4 August), members of legislative assembly (MLAs) had gathered to watch the semifinal clash inside the assembly premises in Guwahati. Prayers were held across the state ahead of the semifinal match. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated her in a post on Twitter.

Borgohain lost to top seed Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey in the women's welterweight semifinal match. Surmeneli dominated the match from the very start. Borgohain came from behind in the third set to up her game but Surmeneli won 5-0.

Her father Tiken Borgohain has been quoted as saying by the ANI: "I'm happy with her bronze medal. I don't watch her match live. I'll go to Guwahati airport to receive her. I'll talk to her later. She will be sad right now as her dream was to win the gold medal."

She has become the third boxer after Vijender Singh and Mary Kom to win an Olympic medal. She gave good upper cuts in the first round and initially was matching the aggression of her Turkish opponent.

In the semifinal match, Lovlina was warned. A point was deducted in the second round as she delivered a punch after the whistle.

She was out-boxed by the world champion in the second as well as the third round. She was seen building a lot of body punches, failing to make her uppercuts land well.

Borgohain earlier surpassed Chinese Taipei’s Nien-Chin Chen to secure a bronze medal in the women’s welterweight category. Beating Chen, she entered the semifinals, winning 4:1.

Her father Tiken Borgohain and her mother Mamoni Borgohain have a television set at home, but they do not watch any of her matches live, says a report in the Hindustan Times.

They wait for her match to get over to see the news headline flashing the results. Her father has been quoted as saying: “There’s a lot of emotion involved in watching a match live. We are happy that Lovlina has won her bouts and is assured of a medal. But her mother and I won’t be watching the next two matches as well."

Reportedly, it was after her win over Nien-Chin Chen that her village witnessed heavy downpour. The rain turned the road to Baromukhia — her village in Golaghat district, Assam, her village, muddy.

The Public Works Department has decided to repair the kutcha road before she returns from Tokyo. Biswajit Phukan — MLA from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party from Sarupathar has been quoted as saying: “Our area has been declared drought-hit this season. But on the day of Lovlina’s quarter final match, it rained heavily and turned the road to her home muddy and unmotorable.”

It will be turned into a metallic road after the monsoon, reports say.