Lovlina Borgohain (PTI Photo)NEW DELHI: Lovlina Borgohain became India’s first assured medallist at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) even before stepping into the ring after receiving a direct entry into the women’s 75kg semifinals, guaranteeing herself at least a bronze medal.With only five entries in the 75kg division, the quarterfinal stage effectively became a formality. Three boxers — Lovlina, Tuvalu’s TKBP Taafaki and Australia’s Emma-Sue Greentree — received first-round byes and advanced straight to the semifinals.In boxing, both losing semifinalists are awarded bronze medals, ensuring the Tokyo Olympic medallist a place on the podium without contesting a bout. Lovlina will face Taafaki in the semifinal on July 31, with the winner progressing to the gold medal bout. Should she meet Greentree in the final, the Australian is expected to provide a stern challenge.The guaranteed bronze also completes Lovlina’s collection of major multisport medals. The 28-year-old Assam boxer had previously won medals at the Olympics, World Championships, Asian Games and Asian Championships, with a CWG medal being the only honour missing from her cabinet.The sparse field in the women’s 75kg category stands in sharp contrast to the men’s events, where participation is significantly stronger.The men’s 55kg division (Jadumani Singh’s category) has the largest field with 24 boxers, while most men’s weight classes have healthy entries, barring the 90kg and 90+kg, which feature fewer than 10 competitors.Among women, the 54kg division (Preeti Pawar) has the biggest draw with 17 entrants, followed by the 51kg category (Sakshi Chaudhary) with 13.The boxing competition gets underway from Friday with Jadumani in action on the first day.