Guwahati: India’s Lovlina Borgohain advanced to the women’s 75kg boxing final at the 2026 Asian Games after defeating reigning world champion Natalya Bogdanova of Kazakhstan 3-2 in a closely fought semifinal.
The Indian Olympic bronze medallist was forced to rally after Bogdanova took the opening round. The Kazakh boxer entered the bout as the reigning 70kg world champion, having secured the world title in 2025.
Bogdanova started aggressively and narrowly won the first round as both boxers exchanged punches in a competitive opening.
Lovlina responded strongly in the second round, taking control of the bout and securing a unanimous 5-0 verdict from the judges.
The final round was closely contested, with both fighters trading punches until the final bell. Although Bogdanova was judged to have edged the round, Lovlina’s performance across the three rounds was enough to secure a 3-2 victory.
The win assures Lovlina of at least a silver medal and takes her into the gold-medal bout, marking her second consecutive Asian Games final appearance in the 75kg category.
Lovlina will face China’s Bao Ziyi in the final. Bao will present another challenge for the Indian boxer, having won the 75kg gold medal at the 2026 Asian Boxing Elite Championships earlier this year.
Lovlina will now look to cap her Asian Games campaign with a gold medal in the final.