Boxing Federation of India think tank spars over elite national camp selection with foreign expert Bernard Dunne
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) think tank and Bernard Dunne, India’s high-performance director of boxing, sparred over the number of probables for next month's elite national boxing camp in Patiala.
Dunne, a former Irish professional boxer, was named India’s high performance director in October this year.
The Irish boxing expert has proposed that only gold and silver medal winners at the sixth elite women’s national boxing championship, which concluded earlier this week in Bhopal, should be shortlisted for the national camp. However, BFI officials were of the view that the top four in each of the weight categories should be shortlisted for the 2023 national preparatory camp.
Dunne told Sportskeeda:
"We are working on a selection policy with the Boxing Federation of India. My basic goal for 2023 is to ensure athletes are healthy and achieve success at the Olympics qualification competition in September."
Having top four boxers in the national camp has been the policy of the national governing body in boxing in the past to build a strong bench. Since there are no zonal camps, national camps are the main platform to polish the skills of the elite boxers and the policy hasn’t changed.
A senior national boxing coach explained:
“Boxing is a combat sport. In case of any eventuality, if the leading boxer is unwell or injured, the second or third boxer could fill the gap. The system of selection policy for elite boxers in small European nations like Ireland could be different.
"But in India, where the majority of the boxers are dependent on national camps for better facilities, it is important to have at least the top four players in each of the weight groups for the national camp.”
According to a female coach associated with the national camp, the Irish expert believes fewer boxers in the elite national camp are better for excellence.
She added:
“His (Dunne) primary focus is on six Olympic weight categories to build a good team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Having four boxers in each of the weight groups gives an opportunity to have a variety of sparring partners.”
"My focus will be Olympic weights" says Dunne as boxers shift weight to Olympic boxing categories
The six Olympic weight categories in the women’s group are 50 kg, 54 kg, 57 kg, 60 kg, 66 kg, 75 kg. Several boxers rejigged their weight categories to stamp their authority at the Bhopal Nationals to stay on course for the Paris Olympic Games.
Dunne added:
"As a high-performance director of boxing, my focus will be Olympic weights. I want to ensure Indian boxers achieve good results at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games."
India’s world boxing champion in women’s 52 kg weight division, Nikhat Zareen, shifted to a lower weight at the Bhopal National Championships. She won gold in 50 kg, which is an Olympic weight.
Apart from the 2024 Olympic Games, the women’s team will focus on the 2023 World Championships to be held in March in New Delhi. Competition at the New Delhi World Championships will be conducted in all 12 weight categories.
The men’s national boxing championship is scheduled to start on December 30 in Hisar, Haryana.
A senior BFI official told Sportskeeda:
“A proposal has been sent to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to conduct the national camp from the second week of January in Patiala. We hope the issue of the selection of elite boxers will be sorted out then.”