Lovlina Borgohain alleges mental harassment, says her coach denied entry into CWG Village

Birmingham, July 25 (IANS): With just three days left for the Commonwealth Games to kick-start, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain on Monday took to social media to share her ordeal where she alleged that she had been going through ‘mental harassment’ due to her coaches being frequently changed.

She said that her preparations for the major events have being constantly impacted becasued of her coaches, who helped her to a historic medal in Tokyo, being removed without explanations.

In a tweet, the 24-year-old boxer from Assam said that she has been facing problems in training after authorities denied entry to her coaches in the Commonwealth Games Village.

Lovlina said that one of her coaches has been sent home and another has been denied entry to the Commonwealth Games Village.

“Today with great sorrow I want to reveal that harassment is going on with me. The coaches who helped me win the Olympic medal were removed which hindered my training process. One of the coaches is Sandhya Gurungji, who is a Dronacharya awardee. Both of my coaches have to plead to be included in the training camp and they are added quite late,” Lovlina said in a tweet.

“Right now my coach Sandhya Gurungji is outside Commonwealth Village. With all this, my training process has stopped exactly 8 days before the games. My second coach has also been sent back to India. This happened even after I made many requests, due to which I have suffered a lot of mental harassment. I don’t know how to focus in the game. Due to this my last world championship was also spoiled. And because of this politics I do not want to spoil my CWG. I hope that I could break this politics and win a medal for my country. Jai Hind,” she wrote.

The boxer sealed the berth in the Indian team for the CWG in the 70 kg event with a dominating 7-0 win against Railways Pooja in the selection trials held in Delhi.

Lovlina scripted history when she won the women’s 69 kg bronze medal at Tokyo 2020, becoming the third Indian boxer to win a medal at the Olympics after Vijender Singh (bronze at Beijing 2008) and Mary Kom (bronze at London 2012).