Boxing
Boxing Federation of India seeks new coach after disappointing Olympic campaign
Indian boxers had a disappointing Paris Olympics, with six, including world champion Nikhat Zareen, returning without medals.
Boxing Federation of India (Photo Credits : BFI)
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has issued a call for applications for a new foreign coach, in the aftermath of India's disappointing Olympic boxing campaign, where the contingent returned empty-handed.
"The Boxing Federation of India is seeking a foreign coach for its elite national team for the upcoming four-year period," the BFI stated in its advertisement.
"The primary objective is to achieve top results in the next Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and other major competitions," the statement read.
The BFI outlined that the ideal candidate should possess top-level boxing qualifications, extensive experience with elite or youth national teams, and a proven track record of producing medals at the Olympic, Asian, European, or World levels.
Additionally, the candidate should be physically capable of demonstrating techniques to athletes.
The selected coach will be offered a four-year contract extending through the next Olympics.
Following the Tokyo 2020 Games, the coaching staff underwent significant changes.
Raffaele Bergamasco, the women's high-performance director, and Santiago Nieva, the men's high-performance director, were among the first to leave in 2022.
Bhaskar Bhatt briefly served as the women's head coach before resigning in June 2023, and HPD Bernard Dunne, who took up the role in October 2022, stepped down four months before the Olympics, leaving Indian boxing in a precarious situation.
Dmitry Dmitruk took over after Dunne's departure and will remain in his role until the end of his two-year contract.
"We have not even discussed Dmitry. He will serve his contract," a BFI source told PTI.
India's boxing contingent returned from the Paris Olympics without a medal, drawing widespread criticism.
Lovlina Borgohain and Nishant Dev narrowly missed out on medals, while Nikhat Zareen was eliminated early in the tournament.
The BFI also plans to review the boxers' performances at the Paris Olympics in the coming days.
