Indian Boxing Faces Challenges Ahead of Key Competitions
New Delhi: As major boxing events loom on the horizon, Indian boxing is in a tough spot. With just 50 days until the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and less than four months before the Asian Games in Japan, the sport is without a High-Performance Director (HPD) and a foreign head coach for the men’s team. This gap is causing serious concerns about preparations for these important competitions.
The delays in hiring have stemmed from a salary disagreement between the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Boxing Federation of India (BFI). The BFI has requested monthly salaries of $15,000 for the HPD, $12,000 for the men’s head coach, and $6,000 for the head of sports science. In contrast, SAI has offered only $8,500 for the HPD and $6,000 for the men’s coach. The situation is even more complicated since the women’s head coach, Santiago Nieva, is currently earning $13,500 per month.
The men’s team has been without a foreign coach since Ukrainian Dmitry Dmitruk left after the Paris Olympics, and the HPD position has been empty since Bernard Dunne stepped down in March 2024.
In response to the vacancies, nine foreign candidates applied for the HPD position, with Sweden’s Johan Flodin making the shortlist. For the men’s coach role, 26 candidates applied, with Italy’s Raffaele Bergamasco and American Chadrick Wigle as the final contenders. Swedish Rickard Nilsson was selected for the head of sports science role. Interviews took place on April 10, but the hiring process has stalled, despite SAI sending reminders to BFI seeking updates on salary details.
As Indian boxers gear up for these crucial events, resolving these issues quickly will be vital for their success.
