Rift between coaches, women boxers impacts national camp

Time of India

24-05-2025

NEW DELHI: A discord between coaches and the country's leading women boxers has disrupted practice sessions at the ongoing national camp at NIS, Patiala. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is working on borrowed time, having exceeded its electoral timeline after failing to finish the process within the required period.
Consequently, the ministry suspended direct funding to the federation and instead channelled funds directly to the Sports Authority of India (SAI)-operated NIS centre to ensure uninterrupted operation of the national camp for women boxers.
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However, TOI has learnt that BFI's selection of coaches to manage the camp hasn't gone down well with the campers. Several boxers have expressed concerns about the 'domineering, ill-tempered and controlling behaviour' of support staff.
The boxers have expressed dissatisfaction with a particular senior coach's training methodology, citing his instructions and excessive discussions instead of essential sparring sessions and fitness routines. A screenshot of a whatsapp chat, accessed by TOI, reveals that support staff members have also raised concerns about this specific coach.
It's been alleged that whilst boxers attend four-hour morning training sessions daily, certain federationappointed coaches dedicate insufficient time to actual training and sparring activities.
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The federation has formed several sub committees to ensure the smooth functioning and timely execution of tasks assigned to it by the sport's global governing body – World Boxing. But the selection and coaching committee hasn't even met once since its formation.
Ironically, one of the members appointed as a senior coach last coached a national team 12 years ago.
'Some federation-appointed coaches only dictate their terms.
They are neither good with their training methods nor scheduling. They come and indulge in lengthy speeches. The training has been affected badly. After the morning session, the boxers are called for another practice session for six hours from 2 pm to 8pm every day, with little time devoted to serious training,' alleged a female camper.
'Recently, some coaches picked up a fight amongst themselves leading to heated arguments.
All this is not good for Indian boxing and some serious measures need to be taken to improve the condition of the national camp,' the boxer added.
When contacted, a BFI official assured to look into the matter and hold discussions with the coaches and boxers. The issue has also been brought to the knowledge of sports minister
Mansukh Mandaviya
and he has promised to look into it and seek a report from the federation.
The camp has 62 female boxers, with one head coach, eight other coaches and remaining support staff personnel. The BFI, at present, is governed by a six-member committee appointed by World Boxing, with current president
Ajay Singh
acting as its chairman.
Singh, who is pursuing a third term at the helm of the federation, has abstained from holding elections amid concerns that a majority of state associations may not support him. The elections were originally scheduled for Feb 2 but were rescheduled for March 28 on Himachal Pradesh high court's order and have since been postponed indefinitely.
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