Boxers are known to get knocked down and then stagger up on their feet. Their indomitable spirit never lets them quit. Somehow, that spirit seems to be missing in Indian boxing, especially in the men’s sport, at the moment. The contingent is back from one of their worst shows in recent times. If the sport was riding a wave thanks to the lofty heights scaled by Olympic and world championship medallists Vijender Singh and Mary Kom, it’s almost at a nadir now.
The men’s team had a torrid time at the Olympic qualifiers in Italy, with most getting eliminated in the first round. Though some of the matches were close, it was not an excuse for failing to secure Olympic quotas; that too after so much support from all stakeholders—the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), Sports Authority of India (SAI) and several non-governmental agencies.
To put things in perspective, the erstwhile Indian Amateur Boxing Federation used to take overdrafts and loans to send boxers for international exposure trips and competitions. Though most of the expenses were reimbursed, the federations were not as healthy as they are now.
After the romance of boxing was reignited thanks to the Dingko Singh and Gursharan Singh generation, Vijender, Mary and a bunch of others lifted it higher. Things have changed over the years. Schemes such as the Target Olympic Podium have started monetarily compensating boxers. Yet, the quality of men’s boxing has not improved after the Tokyo Olympics. The Asian Games, too, was not as expected.
Irishman Bernard Dunne, the high-performance director, has been the first casualty. But it’s not the ideal solution— BFI, which proposes the director’s name, and SAI, which pays him, need to introspect. There is no bench strength, which in turn has affected the sparring. This is evident at the senior nationals. There is a gap between the best and the rest. Without competition, improvement is just not possible. Also the men’s and women’s camps have been merged at Patiala, which apparently has not gone down well with some boxers.
With one more Olympic qualifier left, BFI and SAI must not make wholesale changes. Instead, they should find ways to help boxers perform. There is quality, but like diamonds, it needs to be polished. The boxers can still stagger to their feet for one last time to qualify. All they need is the final push.