Lovlina Borgohain opened up on the controversial incident in a Glasgow restaurant during the recently concluded 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG), where she found that North East India was cut off from the Indian map. The Tokyo Olympic medalist immediately raised the issue in a video clip that went viral on social media.
In an exclusive interaction with Times Now, Borgohain opened up on the matter and claimed she was hurt by the incident. She stated that people advised her to not raise the issue and escalate the situation. However, she decided to raise the matter with the management publicly.
“Yes, when I noticed that the Northeast was missing from the map of India, I was extremely angry. All of us from the Northeast were discussing it and wondering how something like this could happen. Before I said anything, some people even told me, “Don’t say anything. Don’t speak about it. It might make the situation worse.” But I felt it was very important to speak up. I thought that if I spoke out of anger, the reaction would also be angry. But if I addressed it with love and calmly explained the issue, perhaps the response would also be positive.
“I didn’t think about it too much. I simply felt that it was not right, so I said it in a polite and respectful manner. Perhaps the reason I was able to control my anger is because of boxing. In the ring, even when your opponent keeps hitting you, you have to handle the situation calmly and strategically. Maybe that is why I was able to handle that situation so calmly,” said Lovlinha.
The Assamese star further claimed that it hurt her that the Northeast region of the country was neglected but praised the government for things changing in recent years and pointed out the transformation of her home state, Assam.
Yes, to some extent, we do feel that. Even today, in certain situations, we sometimes feel that people still say, “She is from the Northeast.” It is not as prominent as it used to be, and a lot has changed today. But I still feel that the Northeast needs to be highlighted more. At the same time, we also need to take a stand for ourselves. Sometimes, it may not even be intentional, but we do feel it. For example, when we win a medal and arrive in Delhi, the amount of love and celebration we receive is wonderful. But sometimes, athletes from the Northeast feel that we don’t get the same kind of celebration there as athletes from other parts of the country. For other athletes, their families and relatives come to the airport.
“Their celebrations become much bigger because their loved ones are there. For us from the Northeast, it is a little different because our families are back home. So, we experience that bigger emotional celebration when we return to Assam. Sometimes, at that moment, you do feel that difference. But overall, if we look at the situation today, a lot has changed. The government has played a role in bringing about that change. Earlier, many people did not even know much about the Northeast,” said Lovlina.
“Our current Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has played a major role in making people more aware of Assam and the Northeast. Because of him, the region has received much more visibility. Our Prime Minister has also visited Assam many times, and that has helped people across the country know Assam better. Today, people know that Assam has oil, tea gardens, the Brahmaputra and other rivers, Kaziranga and so many other things.
“Even then, there are still many people who don’t know enough about Assam or the Northeast. Sometimes, they may even assume that because people from the Northeast are generally quiet and peaceful, they won’t speak up. But that is not true. We know what is happening around us. We are intelligent enough to understand these things. We simply choose not to react aggressively because we believe that many things can be handled calmly and peacefully,” Lovlina explained.
Lovlina On Assam Floods
Meanwhile, Lovlina reacted to the devastating floods in Assam and claimed the situation affected her mentally during the CWG. She also claimed she is planning to visit the affected areas personally and provide help to people.
“Whenever we go to compete, the environment is completely different, and mentally, we have to be very strong. The medal we eventually win is also influenced by our mental state during that particular period — how we are thinking and whether we are dealing with things positively or negatively. At that time, when I was seeing the situation in Assam on social media, it was extremely difficult for me. Seeing your own people going through such a situation is not easy for anyone.
“Even people who had come from outside to help were deeply affected by what they were seeing. So, for me, knowing that these were my own people made it even more painful. Initially, I didn’t know how to deal with those emotions. At the same time, I kept thinking about how I could contribute in some way because I had to stay there and compete.So, I tried to see how I could help through our foundation. We provided whatever help we could, and we are still trying to do our bit,” said Lovlina.
“Yes, we are thinking about that. A lot of people have lost everything, especially their livelihoods. They have to start everything from scratch. People will come and help them for a few days or for a short period, but they need to sustain themselves for the entire year. So, we are thinking about helping them with agriculture providing seeds and other things they may need so that they can restart farming and rebuild their lives,” She added.
Lovlina On CWG 2026 Silver Medal
Lovlina claimed that she was delighted to finally get a medal in the CWG despite missing out on the gold. The 28-year-old was one of the 10 medals India won. India sent seven female boxers to Glasgow, out of which six won medals. While Lovlina settled for silver, each of Sakshi Choudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, Priya Ghanghas, Preeti Pawar, and Jaismine Lamboria won gold.
We had spoken at the beginning of the year about how I wanted the entire year to go. On January 1 itself, I had shared my goals for the season and the competitions I was preparing for. One of my biggest goals was the Commonwealth Games, and now that goal has finally been achieved. This is incredibly special to me because it is the Commonwealth Games, and I have finally won my first medal there. This medal means a lot to me. It is one of the most important and special achievements of my career. Another reason I am so happy is that this medal has completed my medal collection.
“The Commonwealth Games was the only major competition where I did not have a medal. Now, I have won a medal in every major competition I have participated in, which makes this achievement even more meaningful. Now, the last big event of this year is the Asian Games. Last time, I won a silver medal there. This time, I will give it my absolute best and aim to win the gold medal,” said Lovlina.
Lovlina expanded on her preparation for the Asian Games and claimed that with only a month left for the continental showpiece event, she is focusing on fine-tuning her game. The star boxer is looking to add to her tally after winning silver at the last edition in Hangzhou.
“My training preparation has changed a little now. With nearly 15 years of experience, I feel I don’t have to depend only on hard work anymore. Smart work has become equally important. My focus is now more on understanding how to deal with different situations inside the ring and adapting to different kinds of opponents. That was one of the key areas I focused on while preparing for the Commonwealth Games as well. I didn’t overdo the hard work this time. Instead, I relied more on my experience and worked on understanding how to handle different types of opponents.
“We also got the opportunity to spar with some very strong opponents, which helped us prepare better and understand different styles. Our preparation for the Asian Games has already been underway. The Commonwealth Games was just one part of that larger preparation and provided us with a strong foundation. Now, we have only about a month left, so there isn’t much time. Our focus during this period will be on becoming technically stronger, fine-tuning every aspect of our game, and making sure we are fully prepared for the challenge ahead,” Lovlina revealed.
While she already has an Olympic bronze medal in her cabinet, Lovlina claimed that her dream remains to win a gold medal and claimed she is working hard towards it.
“There should always be a goal in life; otherwise, we stop growing. My biggest goal and dream is to win an Olympic gold medal, and I am giving everything I have to achieve it. At the same time, I believe that sometimes trying too hard to achieve something can work against you. If I push myself beyond my limits, it could lead to an injury or affect my performance. So, it is important to maintain a balance, stay patient and take things one step at a time. So, if you ask me about the dream that keeps me awake at night, it is undoubtedly the Olympic gold medal. That is the dream I am constantly working towards, and I will continue giving my best until I achieve it,” said Lovlina.