Tokyo Olympics: Boxer Lovlina Borgohain enters quarterfinals

The Assam boxer played aggressively in the opening round but later switched to counter-attack mode that helped her win the game.

Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain entered the quarterfinals after defeating Nadine Apetz of Germany in the 69 kg category at the Olympics being held in Tokyo on Tuesday. Though it was a debut for both the boxers at the Olympics, Apetz is 12 years senior to Borgohain. The 23-year-old emerged victorious by the thinnest of margins with a 3-2 score.

Borgohain's next match is scheduled for July 30 with former world champion Nien-Chin Chen of Taipei of China, who is seeded fourth. Borgohain is also a two-time world championship bronze-medallist. The Assam boxer played aggressively in the opening round but later switched to counter-attack mode that helped her win the game. National Women's Coach Mohammed Ali Qamar said that she was smart enough to keep the score ticking by hitting on counter-attack.

Meanwhile, Apetz too is a two-time world championship bronze-medallist who became the first German woman to qualify for boxing at the Olympics. The 35-year-old is a former European champion and is also pursuing a PhD in neuroscience.