"Winning my first CWG medal was harder than Olympics": Boxer Lovlina speaks on silver win, prays for normalcy in flood-ridden Assam
Guwahati, August 5
Commonwealth Games 2026 silver medalist and Olympic medalist Lovlina Borgohain said that winning her first-ever CWG medal was harder than securing an Olympic medal. She also spoke on the floods in her home state, Assam, praying that things return to normal and hailed the unity shown by people in the state.
Borgohain secured her maiden Commonwealth Games medal, settling for silver in the women's 75kg boxing event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, losing a closely fought final to Australia's Emma-Sue Greentree on Saturday. At the final bell, both boxers raised their hands in confidence, believing they had done enough to claim the title. However, after a tense wait, the judges awarded the contest to Greentree by a 4-1 split decision, leaving Lovlina to add a Commonwealth Games silver medal to her distinguished international career, which so far includes an Olympic bronze, multiple World Championship medals including a gold, an Asian Games silver and multiple Asian Championships medals, including a gold.
Speaking about her medal win to ANI, she said that considering how little she competed and trained post-Paris 2024 Olympics, she is very happy with a silver medal, though she would have loved a gold.
"I would have felt even better if I had won gold, but I am very happy with silver too because this is my first Commonwealth Games medal. I didn't win a medal in the last two Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth medal was the only one missing from my collection, so winning this was even harder for me than the Olympics. I did not play much after Paris and stayed out of training, so this medal is really special for me," she said.
Speaking of the flood situation in Assam, Lovlina said that she could see how bad things looked in Assam while she was away, and now that she has returned home, she intends to meet people. She also prayed that everyone and everything comes back to normal and hailed the unity shown by the people in the state.
"I saw how dire the conditions were in Assam. Seeing one's own people in such a state makes you truly feel the gravity of the situation. I tried to do whatever I could from my end, and now that I am back, I will try to meet everyone. I just pray that all those affected get out of this crisis quickly and that everything returns to normal; that is all I can pray for. It is really difficult to come out of a flood and start everything afresh. I feel really good about how people in Assam are united and supporting each other," she signed off.
The monsoon floods in Assam have caused widespread devastation, leaving a trail of destruction across multiple districts. The cumulative death toll has climbed to 89 lives lost due to drowning and flood-related incidents. Over 1.22 million to 3.3 million people have been impacted across the state.
Tens of thousands of displaced individuals have taken shelter in state-run relief camps. Tens of thousands of hectares of crucial crop areas have been submerged, dealing a heavy blow to local farmers, alongside widespread damage to roads, embankments, and houses.
The fury of the monsoon has predominantly targeted Upper Assam and central regions, heavily disrupting life along the Brahmaputra and its tributaries like the Dikhow and Dhansiri.
The worst-hit districts include Sivasagar, the most severely affected district, accounting for tens of thousands of displaced citizens and a high number of casualties.
Charaideo was heavily inundated, with vast populations displaced and critical infrastructure severely impacted, while Jorhat witnessed significant damage to villages, residential clusters, and agricultural lands.
Golaghat & Nagaon experienced severe riverine flooding and localised waterlogging due to rising water levels.
The Central Government approved and released critical financial backing, including Rs 379.35 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to bolster Assam's immediate disaster response and rescue operations. Multi-agency rescue teams, including the Indian Army, Air Force, NDRF, and SDRF, have been actively deployed.
The Assam government announced an enhanced Rs 9 lakh total ex-gratia package for the families of the deceased (combining Rs 4 lakh standard compensation--waiving mandatory post-mortems--with an additional Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund).
Direct cash assistance of Rs 15,000 has been initiated for severely affected households.
Special financial grants, free textbooks, school uniform aid, and fee waivers for reissuing academic documents have been rolled out for students in the hardest-hit zones.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Silver in CWG is no small feat, especially after a break from training. But more than her medal, I'm touched by her concern for Assam. The unity of people during floods is truly our strength. 🙏 Let's hope the situation normalizes soon. Also, that Rs 9 lakh package for families of deceased is a good step, but implementation is key.
Amazing resilience shown by Lovlina. Competing at this level after time away from the sport takes real character. The Assam floods are devastating - saw the news about Sivasagar district being worst hit. International coverage doesn't do justice to the scale of the crisis. Sending support from abroad. 🇮🇳
Honestly, the split decision (4-1) seems harsh. Lovlina boxed well and it was a close contest. But she's handling the loss with such grace. More importantly, our athletes like her are role models, but the flood victims need our attention too. The government should fast-track the relief and ensure every affected family gets help. Also, waiving post-mortem for flood victims is a sensible move.
What a fighter! Her journey from Assam to Olympics and now CWG silver is incredible. But the floods in Assam are a recurring tragedy - every year we see the same devastation. Kudos to the Indian Army, NDRF, and SDRF for their rescue ops. The Rs 15,000 direct cash assistance is helpful, but we need better flood management infrastructure in the long run.
Lovlina saying CWG medal was harder than Olympics shows
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