CWG 2026: Commonwealth Gold Still Eludes Lovlina Borgohain, Olympic Medallist Settles for Silver

For Lovlina Borgohain, the wait goes on.

She has conquered the Olympics. She has stood on top of the world stage. She has collected medals across the biggest boxing arenas. But the Commonwealth Games gold medal continues to slip through her gloves.

The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist settled for silver in the women's 75kg event at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games after suffering a narrow 4-1 split-decision defeat to Australia's Emma-Sue Greentree in a tense final on Saturday.

It was the closest Borgohain has ever come to the Commonwealth crown.

The contest was a tactical battle from the opening bell, with both boxers choosing patience over reckless exchanges. Neither fighter gave much away, forcing the bout into a game of timing and precision rather than aggression.

Greentree finally raised the tempo in the closing stages, but Borgohain answered with clean counters and clever movement. When the final bell rang, both fighters raised their hands, convinced they had done enough.

The judges, however, sided with the Australian.

For Borgohain, it was another painful near miss in a competition that has never quite rewarded one of India's greatest boxers.

She exited in the quarter-finals at Gold Coast 2018 and suffered a first-round defeat at Birmingham 2022. Glasgow finally brought her maiden Commonwealth Games medal, but not the colour she had travelled for.

The silver nevertheless adds another chapter to an already glittering career. The 28-year-old remains one of India's most accomplished boxers, with an Olympic bronze, a world championship title and multiple international medals to her name. She reached the Glasgow final after a commanding 5-0 victory over Tuvalu's Tarona Taafaki and looked poised to complete the one achievement missing from her résumé.

It wasn't to be.

Even so, Borgohain's silver contributed to India's finest-ever boxing campaign at the Commonwealth Games. The Indian contingent finished with a record five gold medals, won by Preeti Pawar, Jaismine Lamboria, Sakshi Chaudhary, Priya Ghanghas and Arundhati Choudhary, while Lovlina and Jadumani Singh added silver medals to cap a historic campaign in Glasgow.

The elusive Commonwealth gold may still be missing. Everything else in Borgohain's career already speaks of greatness.

(With inputs from ANI)