Olympic bronze medallist Lovilina Borgohain visits Sikkim to meet and congratulate her coach Sandhya Gurung who will be conferred with Dronacharya award 2021. Boxing coach Sandhya Gurung becomes the first from the state of Sikkim to be conferred with the Droncacharya Award and her disciple Lovelina with Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
The Olymphic medalist Lovilina along with her Dronacharya met Ganga Prasad Governor and Prem Singh Tamang, Chief minister of Sikkim, further after the meet concluded Prem Singh Tamang announced to support some of Rs 10 lakhs to Lovelina and Rs 5 lakhs to Sandhya Gurung
Lovelina Borgohain during her visit interacted with the player at white hall in which she stated that, “You all should feel blessed to have a coach as good as Sandhya who has now grown in stature with the Dronacharya Award being conferred upon her. She was always strict on discipline and along with her call for determination and dedication, as she refers as 3Ds, her Guru Mantra to me, I am sure all of you can go on to play Nationals and International tournaments in the future. Fitness is one other key in sports, which she always tried to inculcate in me, but seeing Sikkim’s terrain and altitude, I don’t think that players and sports enthusiasts here need much to do about fitness, as the workout here happens with the steep climb in the mountains naturally”.
The coach-player duo was accorded a warm welcome earlier in the day by Sikkim Sports Department and Sikkim Olympic Assocation, with young pugilists and other sporting disciples in attendance at the White Hall.
Lovelina on her Coach being conferred with award said,“ I was here to meet Coach Sandhya, and I am happier for her than for myself.”
“You all should feel blessed to have a coach as good as Sandhya who has now grown in stature with the Dronacharya Award being conferred upon her. She always was strict on discipline and along with her call for determination and dedication, as she refers as 3Ds, her Guru Mantra to me, I am sure all of you can go on to play Nationals and International tournaments in the future.”
“Fitness is the other key in sports which she always tried to inculcate in me. But seeing Sikkim’s terrain and altitude, I don’t think that players and sports enthusiasts here need much to do about fitness, as the workout here happens with the steep climb in the mountains naturally,” she said.
Speaking about her coach getting conferred with the Dronacharya Award, Lovlina shared “I wanted to meet Sandhya Ma’am. Her Dronacharya Award has also been confirmed this year. I am happier for her than I am for myself. This is a very special moment for me that both of us are receiving awards at the same time.”
Sandhya Gurung herself on being short-listed, said, “There is no comparison to the happiness I feel for the respect. My student (Lovelina), she told in front of everyone present here, how she feels about me. Today I feel proud of myself that I have done a good work. Choosing the field and to be a success in teaching, I am immensely grateful to all those that have supported me. Be it the government or the public or the players, elders and youngsters.Guru Dronacharya Award or the award given to a mentor, it is said there is nothing higher than the acknowledgement. There is no comparison to the happiness I feel for the respect. my student (Lovlina), she told in front of everyone present here how she feels about me. Today I feel proud of myself that I have done a good work. Choosing the field and to be a success in teaching, I am immensely grateful to all those that have supported me. Be it the government or the public or the players, elders and youngsters.”
Coach Sandhya Gurung recalling her training days with lovelina stated, “She was a tall, shy girl, but the height advantage got her the attention from Assam in sub-junior camp. She was a bit reluctant in sparring, but we pushed her to fight that fear. Her target was always on the Olympics, ever since she went for the sub-junior world championship in 2013. She was playing in 75 kg category initially, later she came down to 69 kg eyeing for the Olympics,”
“When she became a senior around November 2016, she came to me with a request for training. I couldn’t say no. My message to mentor her was no excuse for anything in training, take me as a friend or parent, and she has been sincere in her game and disciplined in her training. There is never a no from her in training,” added Gurung.
“But in major tournaments, she used to get cold feet, but I used to urge her how she is a Lion, king of the jungle. Even though we are not together today, I have been helping her virtually through video calls and elaborate discussions in the Olympics currently. We try to analyse what the opposition has in his strengths and weaknesses currently”, shares Gurung.
Lovlina hails from Golaghat district of Assam and her career’s biggest break came when she was selected to participate in the 2018 Commonwealth Games welterweight boxing category.
She represented India for the first time at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship, held in New Delhi, where she won the bronze medal in the Welterweight(69 kg) category on 23 November 2018.