The exceptional performances of boxers not withstanding, the government has refused to bear the cost for the national coach’s trip for a meeting organised by the AIBA.
The exceptional performances of boxers not withstanding, the government has refused to bear the cost for the national coach’s trip for a meeting being organised by the world body (AIBA) that could be crucial to India’s fortunes in the sport.
Dronacharya awardee GS Sandhu has been credited with the fine effort of top pugilists including Vijender Singh’s bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics last year. He was recently selected for the AIBA Coaches Commission. The rare recognition of an Indian coach’s effort enables him to attend a prestigious meeting in Milan later this month, where he will get the opportunity to hobnob with the world’s best. But the government has refused to bear the expenses for the trip which will cost just over Rs 1 lakh.
“It is an opportunity to discuss the latest techniques and the exposure will help him pass on valuable tips to other coaches. We consider it a good opportunity to keep abreast with latest techniques. But the government has refused to fund the trip and cleared it only on a ‘no cost to government’ basis,” said Indian Boxing Federation (IBF) secretary-general Colonel PK Muralidharan Raja. “The federation wants him to go to Milan because it gives the opportunity to meet top coaches of the world. It also enables us to keep an eye on officials that we might need in the coming months. Such trips are an investment in the long run,” added Raja about the first such opportunity for an Indian boxing coach.
“The federation is left with no option but to try and fund the trip on its own. It is a cost that we could have done without but our requests bore no fruits and we can’t afford to miss this opportunity,” he added.
Vijender’s rare individual medal and the fine showings by Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar in the Beijing Olympics mean that boxing will be an important discipline for the host nation in next year’s Commonwealth Games.
Sandhu, who was conferred the Dronacharya award way back in 1998, is expected to play a vital role in preparing boxers in the coming years while also mentoring other coaches and interacting with foreign coaches, which makes the Milan trip so very important.
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