Birmingham, July 31 (IANS) India's Olympic bronze medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain made a perfect start in her quest for a Commonwealth Games medal with a comfortable victory against her first-round opponent from New Zealand in the women's light middle-weight (over 66-70 kg) bout to storm into the quarterfinals here on Saturday. The Indian boxer is now one win away from securing a bronze medal.Opening her campaign against New Zealand's Ariane Nicholson, an amateur boxer who otherwise has a day job as a hairdresser, Lovlina emerged a 5-0 winner, getting a unanimous decision from all five judges at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) here.The 24-year-old Lovlina, who works as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Assam Police, exploited her height advantage and longer reach fully against her 38-year-old opponent to emerge the winner comfortably. Making her Commonwealth Games debut, Lovlina managed to score 30-27, 30-27, 30-25, 30-25 and 30-27 on all five cards for a unanimous decision, winning 5-0 on points.Playing from the blue corner, Lovlina was the better boxer in the ring by all counts and did not give her rival from New Zealand many chances. She unleashed a flurry of punches -- and some good combinations -- in all three rounds to score a comfortable win.Lovlina, who has won medals in World Championships and Asian Championships besides the Tokyo Olympic Games, will next take on Rosie Eccles of Wales for a place in the semifinal and assure herself at least a bronze medal.
--IANS bsk/khz/
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