Borgohain delivered the victory on her 29th birthday, adding another major title to a career that already includes an Olympic bronze medal and a world championship crown. The triumph also saw her upgrade the silver medal she won at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
The Indian boxer secured a unanimous decision at Nishio City General Gymnasium, with all five judges scoring the final in her favour. She used her reach and counter-punching to manage Bao’s aggressive approach and maintain control of the contest.
The win ended India’s 12-year wait for gold in women’s boxing at the Asian Games. Borgohain became only the second Indian woman to win the title, following Mary Kom, who claimed gold in 2014.
Borgohain had reached the final after beating South Korea’s Seong Suyeon 5-0 in the quarter-finals before overcoming Kazakhstan’s reigning world champion Natalya Bogdanova by a 3-2 split decision in the semi-finals.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist’s victory marked a significant moment in India’s boxing campaign at the Games, as she converted her previous Asian Games silver into gold.
For Borgohain, the result was also a personal milestone: a first Asian Games title secured on her birthday, against China’s Bao, to complete a memorable day for Indian boxing.