Baromukhia village celebrates its favourite daughter, Lovlina Borgohain

Twenty-three year-old Lovlina Borgohain brings cheer to the country, especially her hometown in Golaghat district, as she nabs a medal for boxing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

The moment boxer Lovlina Borgohain, 23, secured the second medal for India at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics on Friday, the sleepy little village of Baromukhia erupted into celebrations. Exuberant firecrackers broke the silence of this otherwise quaint forest reserve village, with a population of around 1,000 people, in Barpathar town, Golaghat district, Assam. Lovlina out-punched Chinese Taipei’s Nien-Chin Chen to win the women’s Welter 64-69 kilograms. With her win, Lovlina is now assured of at least a bronze medal. Next Wednesday, she is set to face-off against Busenaz Surmeneli from Turkey. The youngest of three siblings (she has two elder sisters), Lovlina is from a family of farmers. Over the phone, her father Tiken Borgohain, bubbling with excitement, says he is elated at her win and confident she will bag an Olympic gold for the country next time. Borgohain tells The Hindu, “She is the first sports person in our family. We are more than happy and have been busy answering calls and greeting well wishers. I still haven’t got a chance to speak to Lovlina but I am sure she spoke to Mamoni (her mother).”