The Paris North Venue at Parc de Exposition, which is the second largest convention centre in France, is hosting the boxing competition. Some boxers created history and a few broke the glass ceiling, while others faced heartbreak. India were among those who had to exit the stage with pain. When Lovlina Borgohain, a bronze medallist in Tokyo, lost to Li Qian of China, any hopes of salvaging pride vanished. What would hurt India more is the way two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen lost to another Chinese boxer.
The sport that has given India three medals since Vijender Singh’s bronze in Beijing, was not in the pink of health this time. If one considers the support received from the Sports Authority of India through its Target Olympic Podium scheme and assistance to national sports federations— among the highest in terms of money—the results are a let-down. One can say the draws were tough; but then, only the top boxers from each continent qualify.
There have been issues plaguing the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), too. Foreign coaches or high-performance directors (HPD) were sacked or left under mysterious circumstances. The selection policies kept changing. BFI officials do not have a strong grassroots programme to infuse fresh blood. BFI and SAI have been concentrating on elite boxers, leading to a divide between the best and the rest. This in turn led to a lack of good sparring partners. Boxers at the national camp were not allowed to fight with those outside. There are no strong next-gen boxers who can replace the seniors. The women boxers fought with gumption, but the noise around them was not healthy; too many promotional activities came in the way of focused training.
Boxing needs a complete overhaul. After the last HPD left, the reins were handed to Dimitry Dimitrov, who was brought in as head coach for the women’s team. They need an all-inclusive programme to drive the sport forward, and not another knee-jerk reaction.
The Games setback offers officials a clean slate. There is now a chance for holistic growth rather than another short-term change. A lot can still change for the sport, too—nobody knows yet if it will remain in Los Angeles Olympics. But India can only control the controllables. For that to happen, they will have to get their own house in order.