38th National Games: Lovlina, Ankushita Bag Golds, Boost Assam’s Medal Tally

The 11th day of the ongoing 38th National Games turned out to be a moment of pride for Assam, as the state clinched its first gold medal, putting an end to a long wait filled with anticipation. At the premier sporting event of India, currently underway in Uttarakhand, Assam bagged a total of seven medals today, including two golds, while securing three more, taking its overall medal tally to 31.

With six days remaining and several events yet to commence, Assam has already surpassed its 2022 Gujarat National Games tally of 28 medals.

Friday's primary focus was on boxing, where, for the first time in National Games history, four boxers from Assam reached the finals, battling for the ultimate glory. As expected, Olympic medalist Lovlina Borgohain and Junior World Champion Ankushita Boro secured gold, bringing pride to Assam. However, two-time Olympian Shiva Thapa and his successor Abhinav Saikia fell short of their targets, settling for silver after being defeated by boxers from Services. Shiva lost 4-3, while Abhinav suffered a 5-0 defeat.

Ankushita Boro continued her unbeaten journey at the National Games since 2022, securing a hat-trick of gold medals. Having won gold at the Gujarat and Goa editions, she defeated Uttarakhand’s Kajal 5-0 in the women’s 66kg category final. Ankushita now joins Commonwealth Games gold medalist Nayanmoni Saikia as the second Assamese athlete to achieve a gold hat-trick at the National Games. Notably, Nayanmoni, who has kept her golden streak alive in lawn bowls since the 2011 Jharkhand edition, faced a setback in the group stage this time. Meanwhile, Ankushita remains undefeated in her hat-trick campaign, winning all 12 matches either via knockout or with a 5-0 scoreline.

Despite multiple Olympic medalists failing at the current National Games, Assam’s boxing star Lovlina Borgohain stood firm, securing the state’s second gold medal. In the women’s 75kg category final, she convincingly defeated Chandigarh’s Pranchu Rathore 5-0, bringing joy to Assam. Overall, Assam concluded its boxing campaign with two gold, two silver, and one bronze medal.

Meanwhile, in archery (India round), Assam’s Tutumoni Boro won bronze in the individual category, while Arun Boro and Namrata Brahma secured bronze in the mixed event. In the third-place decider, Tutumoni defeated Jharkhand’s Manisha Kumari 6-4, while Arun-Namrata overcame Haryana’s duo 5-3. These are Assam’s only two medals in archery this time.

In lawn bowls, Assam has confirmed three more medals today. The women's doubles pair of Nayanmoni Saikia and Bongita Hazarika, along with Putul Sonowal in men's singles and the men's fours team of Bitopan Rabha, Amal Teron, Biman Nath, and Bishwanath Kound, have all advanced to the semifinals, ensuring a medal finish.

However, Assam’s men’s football team, which had won gold at the 2007 Guwahati National Games and returned to the competition after a long hiatus, failed to secure a medal this time. Assam lost 4-2 to Delhi in the bronze medal match.

Looking ahead, Assam’s sprint sensation Amlan Borgohain is set to begin his campaign tomorrow. The country’s fastest man, who clinched gold in both the 100m and 200m races in Gujarat, had skipped the Goa edition. Meanwhile, Assam’s table tennis team, led by history-making Priyanuj Bhattacharya, who won two medals in Goa, has arrived in Dehradun for their events.

The ongoing 38th National Games, which began with the triathlon on January 26, features fierce competition across 32 sports, with athletes from 28 states, eight Union Territories, and the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) vying for top honours.

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