Lovlina Borgohain was made to fight for every round, every point and eventually every judge’s card. But when the pressure peaked at the Nishio Gymnasium on Wednesday, the Indian boxer found enough composure to edge past Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova in a 3-2 split decision and book her place in the women’s 75kg boxing final at the Asian Games 2026.
The victory was significant beyond the medal assured by the result. Lovlina has now become the first Indian woman boxer to reach two Asian Games finals, following her silver-medal finish at Hangzhou 2022. She will now have another opportunity to change the colour of that medal when she returns to the ring for the gold-medal bout on October 2.
For much of the semifinal, however, there was little separating the two boxers. Lovlina survives a closely fought semifinal. The Indian started cautiously as both boxers spent the opening exchanges attempting to establish distance and timing. Bogdanova, the reigning world champion at 70kg, showed greater intent and managed to edge the opening round 3-2, putting Lovlina under early pressure. The response from the Indian was immediate.
Lovlina increased her aggression in the second round, looked more comfortable with her combinations and began finding her target with greater consistency. Her improved work earned her a 5-0 round, putting the contest back on level terms and setting up a decisive third round. Bogdanova refused to fade away. The Kazakh boxer came forward again in the final round, forcing Lovlina to rely on her defence and counter-punching.
The bout remained extremely close until the final bell, with neither boxer able to establish a decisive advantage. When the judges’ verdict arrived, Lovlina had done enough. The final decision went 3-2 in her favour, with the scorecards reading 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 for Lovlina and 28-29, 28-29 for Bogdanova. The result guarantees Lovlina at least a silver medal and gives her another shot at an Asian Games gold medal. From Hangzhou silver to another final. Lovlina’s journey at the Asian Games has now taken her to consecutive finals.
At Hangzhou 2022, she claimed silver in the middleweight category. Three years later, competing in the 75kg division in Aichi-Nagoya, she has again positioned herself within touching distance of the top step of the podium. India Today reported that her semifinal victory made her the first Indian woman boxer to reach two Asian Games finals. Her latest run has also followed a demanding 2026 season. At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games earlier this year, Lovlina reached the women’s 75kg final but lost to Australia’s Emma-Sue Greentree by split decision.
Commonwealth Sport confirmed that Greentree took gold after another closely contested bout against the Indian. That defeat now forms another chapter in Lovlina’s pursuit of a major Games gold medal. Before reaching the Asian Games semifinal, Lovlina defeated South Korea’s Seong Suyeon 5-0 by unanimous decision, underlining the consistency that has carried her through the tournament. Lovlina’s next assignment will be the biggest of the tournament. The Indian will fight China’s Bao Ziyi in the women’s 75kg gold-medal bout on October 2.
For an athlete who already owns an Olympic bronze medal and multiple major international honours, the Asian Games gold remains another significant piece of the medal collection. Earlier this year, Commonwealth Sport described the Commonwealth Games gold as a missing medal in Lovlina’s cabinet, highlighting her ambition to add major Games titles to her record. Lovlina wins the fight that mattered most. The biggest takeaway from Lovlina Borgohain’s semifinal was not the margin of victory.
It was her ability to respond after losing the opening round. Against a boxer of Bogdanova’s quality, falling behind early could easily have dictated the rest of the contest. Instead, Lovlina changed the tempo in the second round, secured a unanimous round and then held her nerve through a tense final three minutes. That resilience has now carried her into another Asian Games final. Lovlina arrived in Aichi-Nagoya with a silver medal from Hangzhou. She leaves the semifinal stage with another guaranteed medal and, more importantly, one final opportunity to turn silver into gold.
