The star Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain kicked off her Paris Olympics 2024 campaign with an easy round of 16 win over Hofstad Sunniva in the women's 75kg category on Wednesday, July 31.
The 26-year-old boxer was given a direct pre-quarter-final entry in the 33rd Paris Games. She was excellent with her punches throughout her bout against Norway's opponent to register an easy 5-0 win. Notably, Lovlina previously defeated Sunniva in the 2023 World Championships semi-final but the Norwegian defeated the Indian boxer in the Asiad and Czechia Grand Prix.
Lovlina will be next facing China's Li Qian in the quarter-final clash on August 4. Qian defeated Hergie Bacyadan 5-0 in her round of 16 match to enter the last eight at the Paris Games on Wednesday. Qian famously won silver in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and bronze in the 2016 Rio Games.
Both Lovlina and Qian are former world champions and are just one win away from securing a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Sreeja Akula enters round of 16 in women's singles
India's table tennis player Sreeja Akula defeated Singapore's Zeng Jian in the third round of the women's singles on Wednesday. She defeated Zeng 4-2 to become the only second Indian paddler to reach the round of 16 at the Olympics.
Celebrating her 26th birthday on July 31, Sreeja will be next facing the world no.1 Sun Yingsha of China who clinched silver in the Tokyo Olympics. Sreeja and Yingsha will face each other in the round of 16 clash on Wednesday (at 12:30 am IST on August 1).
Ace paddler Manika Batra defeated French opponent Prithika Pavader to reach the women's singles round of 16 to script history on Tuesday. Manika, ranked 18th, also faces a tough challenge against the world no.8 Miu Hirano in her next quarter-final clash.
