Morning Stars | Lovlina Borgohain: Sting like a bee, sleep like a baby

Lovlina Borgohain, who won the welterweight boxing bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, gets in about ten hours of sleep daily. (Illustration by Suneesh K.)

Note to readers: Morning Stars is a series of interviews with achievers across fields about their morning routine and how they get ready for the day ahead. Mornings bring optimism and a fresh start. And how we spend them sets the tone for the day.

Wish to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee? Then you must also sleep like a baby.

Rest is paramount for boxers, just like it is for any athlete, and as it should be for any professional. Lovlina Borgohain, who won the welterweight boxing bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, is on snooze mode up to ten hours a day.

“I sleep eight hours at night and two during the day,” the 5' 10" 24-year-old from Assam says during an interaction at an adidas event in Mumbai on December 5.

A chat with Borgohain on how she gets her day off to a punchy start.

Boxing is a demanding sport. You must be hitting the sack early.

I sleep by 10 or 10.30 pm, though these days things are changing a bit (due to post-Olympic events and engagements), and then I get up by 7 or 8 in the morning. I sleep eight hours at night and two during the day. Then I feel free and well-rested during training.

What is the breakfast of champions you consume?

I mostly eat boiled things and bread. Occasionally, I have parathas. I really like Assamese food. I make it every now and then.

Do you listen to music in the morning?

Music plays on my phone the whole day. I listen to all types. During training, it's motivational songs, sometimes emotional bhi sunti hu (sometimes I listen to emotional songs, too). Some of my current favourite songs are ‘Hall of Fame’ and ‘Champion’.

Beats K-pop. On to workouts. Any exercise you like or hate?

Luckily I enjoy most types of training. If there is some routine that I don’t like, I still go through it. As for my favourite exercise, I guess it’s running.

We enjoy running if we are sitting on the runner’s back. What about news? What is your regular news source?

News padhna itna nahi hota. Phone se hi milta hai. (I don’t track news in the morning much. I get to know of what’s happening mostly from the phone.)

Careful. Social media punches can be brutal. Which celebrity would you like to have breakfast with?

Floyd Mayweather, I like the way he fights.

Also read: Morning Stars | Mirabai Chanu: ‘I’d like to have breakfast with Salman Khan’