Boxer Lovlina Borgohain, women’s hockey team in the spotlight on a big Wednesday for India at Tokyo Olympic Games

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<strong>Boxer Lovlina Borgohain and Indian women's hockey team will aim to script history by reaching the finals of their respective events while wrestlers Deepak Punia (86kg), Ravi Dahiya (57kg), Anshu Malik (57kg)  and javelin throwers Neeraj Chopra and Shivpal Singh will also be seen in action for the first time on what promises to be an eventful Wednesday for the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympic Games.<br />
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The first woman boxer from Assam to qualify for Olympics, and the only sportsperson from the state competing in Tokyo, Lovlina is assured of at least an Olympic bronze as both losing semi-finalists get a medal at the Games.<br />
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However, the 23-year-old steps into the ring in her women's welter (64-69kg) semifinal bout against reigning world champion Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey in pursuit of becoming the first Indian boxer to enter an Olympic final.<br />
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India have won two medals in boxing at the Olympic Games so far with Vijender Singh winning the bronze in 2008 and Mary Kom adding the second bronze to the tally in 2012.</p>
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<a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/culture-news/lovlina-makes-history-on-olympic-debut-assures-india-another-medal-in-tokyo-105506.html"><strong>Also Read: Lovlina makes history on Olympic debut, assures India another medal in Tokyo</strong></a></p>
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Podium finish secured, Lovlina has already said that she is aiming for nothing less than a gold and will go all out in her contest against the Turkish boxer.</p>
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Meanwhile, after producing the performance of their lives to claim a stunning quarterfinal victory over Australia, the Indian women take on Argentina in the semifinal at the Oi Hockey Stadium with their first-ever Olympic final in sight.<br />
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The Rani Rampal-led squad has already rewritten history books by guaranteeing a first top four finish at an Olympic Games since Moscow 1980.<br />
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Their opponents, Las Leonas are aiming to reach the Olympic final for a third time, having claimed silver at both the Sydney 2000 and London 2012 Olympic Games. India’s sensational 1-0 quarter-final triumph over Pool B winners Australia provides enough evidence that they should not be underestimated.  </p>
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From Tokyo 🇯🇵<br />
With love 🇮🇳<br />
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Join us in wishing the Women in Blue before their historic game. 💙<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HaiTayyar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HaiTayyar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaKaGame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaKaGame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TokyoTogether?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TokyoTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StrongerTogether?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StrongerTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HockeyInvites?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HockeyInvites</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTeamIndia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hockey?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hockey</a> <a href="https://t.co/n8RIfftz8t">pic.twitter.com/n8RIfftz8t</a></p>
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia/status/1422566089586667527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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In the other women's hockey semifinal, a re-match of the gold medal game from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions the Netherlands start as heavy favourites against title holders Great Britain.</p>
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In athletics, all eyes will be on javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra who is making his Olympic debut but has already won a gold in the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast (86.47m) and also at the Asian Games in Jakarta (88.06m).  <br />
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The lad from Haryana first, who first caught the fans' imagination when he won the World Junior Athletics Championships in Bydgoszcz back in 2016, has battled injuries before securing qualification for Tokyo with a throw of 87.86m in the ACNW League Meeting 1 in Potchefstroom, South Africa, to mark his return to competition after 16 months in rehabilitation. He improved his own National Record to 88.07m in the Indian Grand Prix 1 in Patiala on March 5, 2021. Subsequently, he has thrown 86.79m in the Kuortane Games in Finland on June 27, 2021.<br />
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In wrestling, Ravi Dahiya opens his campaign against Colombia's Tigreros Urbano while Deepak Punia takes on Nigeria's Ekerekeme Agiomor in his opening bout in the men's freestyle 86kg category.<br />
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19-year-old Anshu Malik will face Irina Kurachikina of Belarus, who has won two gold medals at the<br />
European Wrestling Championships, in the women's freestyle 57kg section.</p>
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<strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/culture-news/indian-women-s-hockey-team-beat-mighty-aussies-in-tokyo-to-enter-their-first-ever-olympic-semifinal-106070.html">Fans say 'chak de India' after women's hockey team scripts history at Tokyo Olympic Games</a></strong></p>