Bhaskar Bhatt appointed head coach of senior women's boxing team
After an impressive stint with India’s youth boxers, Bhaskar Bhatt has been handed the coaching reins of elite women boxers.
“Bhatt will take charge of the women's team for the next one year ahead of the women’s world championships in Turkey next month,” confirmed Boxing Federation of India Secretary General, Hemanta Kalita.
BFI are looking to overhaul their coaching staff in the aftermath of the Tokyo Olympics where the nine-member contingent returned with a solitary bronze, thanks to Lovlina Borgohain.
The federation has submitted a proposal to the Sports Authority of India for four foreign coaches for men and women senior and youth teams. Till the time those appointments happen, men’s team high-performance director Santiago Nieva will continue to be in charge.
Under Bhatt’s stewardship, the youth women's team had its most successful run at the Youth World Championships in Poland earlier this year, winning seven gold and three bronze medals to record its best performance in the competition.
He was an assistant coach with the senior women’s team from 2005 to 2012, and was handed the responsibility of the youth team in 2017.
Bhatt said his first target would be the upcoming World Championships in Istanbul, scheduled to be held next month. The dates of the event are yet to be announced.
“This World Championship will be an opportunity for our boxers to test themselves because many of them are new faces. It will give an indication of where we stand, and accordingly, we will have to prepare for next year,” said Bhatt.
“Next year we have two big competitions in Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, and we need to plan and prepare our boxers. In the next few years, we will see many girls from youth, who have impressed at world level, come to the senior category,” he added.
Four Indian women boxers had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, but only Lovlina Borgohain could finish on the podium.
“So far we have won two bronze medals in women’s boxing at the Olympics – Mary Kom (2012 London Olympics) and Lovlina. If I am given the responsibility till the 2024 Paris Olympics, then my target will be to aim for more medals and take women’s boxing to great heights,” Bhatt said.
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