The Boxing Federation of India’s (BFI) newly-appointed chairperson of the Talent Hunt Commission and Olympic medallist Vijender Singh has warned that “big changes are in store” for the men’s boxing team after it returned home empty-handed from the recently-concluded World Championships in Liverpool.
India’s campaign was headlined by women pugilists Jaismine Lamboria and Minakshi Hooda, who were crowned world champions in the 57kg and 48kg categories, while Nupur Sheoran (80+kg) claimed silver and Pooja Rani (80kg) won bronze. But none of the men boxers could cross the quarterfinal stage.
I appreciate that the women performed very well; it is amazing to have two world champions.
Jaismine Leads The Way
Jaismine’s gold medal was India’s lone success in an Olympic category, with the other three podium finishes coming in non-Olympic divisions. Facing Poland’s Olympic medallist Julia Szeremeta, Jaismine pulled off a stunning 4-1 victory in the final.
The women’s squad also featured Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) and reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg). However, Lovlina bowed out in the second round, while Nikhat was stopped in the quarterfinals by Türkiye’s two-time Olympic silver medallist Buse Naz Cakıroglu.
Men Disappoint In Liverpool
In contrast, the men’s team endured a forgettable outing. Among the 10 boxers in the squad, only Jadumani Singh (50kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) reached the quarterfinals.
Vijender, a 2008 Olympic bronze medallist, did not hide his disappointment, especially after India had won three bronze medals at the previous edition in Tashkent (2023).
Among the men, we can achieve a lot; but I would like to say that we need to change the team and move forward. I am already in touch with the federation, and we’ll make the necessary changes.
‘You Will Know Very Soon’
When pressed to elaborate on what changes are planned, Vijender remained guarded. “It’s confidential as of now. I have talked to the BFI secretary, Pramod (Kumar) ji, and already conveyed the message to President Ajay Singh ji. You will find out very soon,” he revealed. Attempts to reach the BFI secretary general went unanswered.
Concerns Over Coaching Staff
While avoiding direct criticism of the boxers, Vijender did raise questions about the bloated support staff.
I was watching; there are 5–6 coaches attached to one boxer. Why? There are so many things we can change. At the end of the day, you need to perform.
Acknowledging that ups and downs are part of sport, he added: “Some days are good, some bad. That’s true. But changes are required, especially in the men’s team. A lot of controversy will happen (if I take names).”
Limited Exposure A Factor
India’s boxers also suffered from a lack of international exposure. Since the Paris Olympics last year, the men competed in only two international tournaments, while the women featured in just one. This was the result of BFI’s decision to avoid competitions organised by the International Boxing Association, fearing isolation from the newly-formed global governing body, World Boxing.
Still, Vijender insisted that the lack of competition cannot be an excuse.
If the performance is not what it is expected to be, then you have to make decisions.
