CHENNAI: Forced indoors due to the coronavirus pandemic, Indian boxers have been online more than ever and have been taking lessons from experts in a bid to stay sharp. Many have wondered when this period of uncertainty will get over so that they can get back in the ring. India boxing high-performance director Santiago Nieva is hopeful that the boxing federation can hold a camp within a month. If not for everyone, at least for elite boxers.
“It’s going good (online coaching). I have to send a programme for next week. Hopefully, we can start the camp soon, at least with a reduced number of boxers. Then, we can get back on target. I hope that we’ll be able to hold the camp within a month,” Nieva, who’s currently in SAI, Patiala, said on Sunday.“As soon as they come here (Patiala), we’ll focus on the conditioning and then we’ll have one period for strength and gradually move on to boxing.”
After securing a record number of Olympic quotas last month, Nieva had hoped to carry on the momentum. But with the Olympics getting postponed, The Argentina-born Swede has been looking to ensure his wards stay motivated. “One point of view is, it’s a little bit frustrating. We know we can’t keep up with the quality of training that we would like. But we have to put this in context. We know that we still have plenty of time before the Olympics. And the rest of the world is on the same boat as we are. So we are trying to do our best.”
The world might have hit a pause button but Nieva has been busy formulating programmes for his wards in this tricky period. “This week, we started an online coaching education programme for the coaches. The BFI and SAI have been working together. We have five sessions in a week on different subjects. There are limitations while working online, but it’s okay, it’s a start. This will go on for a month.”
While there are concerns in his minds regarding his wards’ fitness and training, one pugilist who Nieva is relaxed about is veteran Vikas Krishan. When queried about his status, Nieva said: “He’s training at home. He took time to relax. Now, he’s doing some maintenance training. He’s a very experienced boxer. I’m not too worried about him. He needs less time to get back in shape, we have seen that many times.”