The elite women's boxing camp at the Army Sports Institute (ASI), Pune, is proving beneficial for Olympics-bound Lovlina Borgohain.
Starting from her seven-day quarantine period on May 4, during which she used a personal gym and an exclusive training area, Lovlina has got adequate support for her training at Pune.
Lovlina, who generally struggles to get good sparring partners, is pleased to find some fine 69kg male boxers to train with at the ASI.
“Sparring with men is a different type of challenge, both physically and technically. Their punches are harder. It helps me improve a lot of aspects of my game. Their height is also beneficial for me as it prepares me for taller boxers,” Lovlina told The Hindu.
The two-time World championship medallist is happy that the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) accepted her request and included 69kg World youth champion Arundhati Choudhary in the camp.
Good sparring partner
“Arundhati is a promising boxer and, like me, she likes to box from a distance. It will be good to have sparring sessions with her. It will help me in my preparation.”
Having taken the first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine, Lovlina feels good.
“It is a massive boost to be here in Pune and focus on training for the Olympics in a safe environment. It was good to get vaccinated and take another step in defeating the virus. Although we still need to take maximum precautions and stay safe, mentally it has helped a lot."
She missed out on a long stint in Europe, having contracted the infection, but got some exposure when she competed in the Boxam event in Spain in March last. The lanky boxer is now keen to make the most of the Asian championships in UAE later this month.
"Before a mega event like the Olympics, it is very important to test our mettle. The Asian championships is a perfect platform for putting our preparations to test against the best boxers from Asia. This will also boost our confidence and help us improve our game," said Lovlina.