Lovlina Borgohain and Simranjit Kaur at Olympics 2021 today (30 July): Boxing preview, category, schedule, when and where to watch (IST)

Following the exit of Mary Kom, Lovlina Borgohain and Simranjit Kaur will aim to keep India's boxing medal hopes alive on Day 7 of the Tokyo Olympics 2021.

Light welterweight specialist Simranjit Kaur will open her debut Olympic campaign against Thailand's Sudaporn Seesondee on Friday. It is a tough opener for Punjab's first ever female boxer to qualify for the Olympics.

Seesondee is a two-time World Championships medalist and also bagged the silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. But Simranjit too has made rapid progress in the last few years and counts a World Championships bronze and two Asian Championships medals among her biggest achievements. Kaur will hope to draw confidence from those medals and get her tactics right when she enters the ring against the Thai.

Lovlina Borgohain, meanwhile, started her Tokyo Olympic challenge with a tight 3-2 win over two-time World Championships bronze medalist Nadine Apetz of Germany. But now, it's a step up in the challenge for the two-time World Championships bronze medalist from Assam.

Lovlina's next opponent, the 24-year-old Chen Nien-Chin, won the gold medal at the 2018 World Championships. During that run to the world title, she comprehensively beat Lovlina 4-0 in the semifinals, where the Indian was also docked points for hitting the back of her opponent's head.

Lovlina is expected to have learned from that bout and come prepared with a better strategy this time around.

Lovlina Borgohain & Simranjit Kaur categories

While Lovlina Borgohain will compete in the 69kg category, Simranjit Kaur will be in action in the 60kg category.

Lovlina Borgohain & Simranjit Kaur schedule

Simranjit Kaur's Round of 16 bout against Thailand's Sudaporn Seesondee is scheduled for 11.48 am local time or 8.18 am IST at Kokugikan Arena on Friday, July 30, 2021.

Lovlina Borgohain's quarterfinal bout against Chinese Taipei's Chen Nien-Chin will take place at 12.18 pm local time or 8.48 am IST on the same day.