India's Olympic bronze medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain said that while she is happy to win a medal for India at the Tokyo Games, her aim was to secure gold at not just in Tokyo but the at the next two Games as well. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Borgohain spoke about the road ahead after the Tokyo Olympics and how she motivated herself to compete at the Games even as her mother battled a kidney ailment. Borgohain said she could meet her mother only once while she was being treated and couldn't visit her home in Golaghat district of Assam for more than a year.
"My parents are very happy. They haven't even had the time to speak with me as there have been so many people at my home. I have only spoken to them for one or two minutes because of the crowd at home," Borgohain told NDTV.
"My mother was suffering from a kidney ailment, and I still feel sad that I couldn't be with her when she wasn't well. I went to her the day she had her operation but couldn't meet her. They don't allow you to meet for a few days after the operation.
"I haven't even been home for more than a year. So, it feels bad and I need to motivate myself in such situations that I need to focus on the Olympics. I needed to tell myself that my mother would be fine," she said.
Borgohain called the Olympic medal "a big achievement" but reiterated that she aims to take gold at the 2024 and 2028 Olympics.
"It was my semifinal bout today. I lost the bout and felt really bad as my aim was to win the gold medal," she said.
"Winning a medal at the Olympics is a big achievement and I am happy that I could secure a medal. But I couldn't get exactly what I wanted and I am a bit sad about that.
"My aim was to win three Olympic gold medals. But I couldn't win it this time. I will try to win the gold in the next two (2024, 2028) Olympics.
"There's the World Championship, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, too, and I need to do well in these competitions as well and win a medal for the country."
Borgohain, who took to boxing on her mother's insistence on learning self-protection, said winning at the Olympics has been her first aim since she first wore the gloves.
"Since the day I started boxing my aim has been to compete at the Olympics and win. I have always kept that in mind and have told myself every time I lost in a tournament that I need to win at the Olympics." she said.
"For me, personally, it is a big achievement to win a medal at the Olympics."