No medal pressure as Lovlina chases elusive Commonwealth Games gold

With a medal already guaranteed before throwing a punch, India's Lovlina Borgohain says the absence of podium pressure has freed her to chase the one prize she really wants at the Commonwealth Games -- gold.
The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist advanced directly to the women's 75kg semifinals after receiving a bye, assuring India of its first medal of the Games.
For a boxer who had to battle through multiple bouts in each of her previous Commonwealth Games campaigns without reaching the podium, the direct passage came as a surprise.
"This was shocking news even for me.

I never thought I'd get a direct entry into the semifinal because in the last two Commonwealth Games, I didn't even have a medal and I had to fight four or five bouts," Lovlina said on Friday.
"Maybe this is a blessing for all my hard work."
The guaranteed medal also marks a turnaround for the 28-year-old, who endured a difficult spell after the Paris Olympics before gradually rebuilding her confidence through a strin