BFI's High Performance Director Bernard Dunne resigns, foreign coach likely to be sacked after Indian boxers' dismal show in Olympic Qualifiers
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is facing a crisis due to the sudden resignation of High Performance Director Bernard Dunne. The former Irish boxer decided to step down following Indian pugilists’ poor showing in the recent Olympic Qualifiers that took place in Italy.
Dunne had occupied this position since 2022. With him having put in his papers, the focus now shifts to foreign coach Dmitry Dmitruk. His position also looks untenable and an official decision on his future with the Indian team will be taken after BFI's meeting on Friday.
The secretary general of India’s top governing body for boxing, Hemant Kalita, informed PTI (via Sportstar) of the recent developments.
“Bernard is out. We have called an executive meeting tomorrow, where we will assess everything," Kalita said. "A call on Dmitry's future will also be taken in tomorrow's meeting."
This situation has been precipitated by the failure of any Indian male boxer to qualify for the upcoming Paris Olympics so far. Apart from the World Qualification Tournament 1 - which was held from March 3-11 in Busto Arsizio, Italy - the Asian Games also provided an opportunity for qualification. Yet, no success came India's way.
Dmitruk, whose tenure began in February last year, looks set to face the consequences of this poor showing. With the last Olympic qualification event coming up in May, the BFI top brass seems keen on trusting Indian coaches.
"There will be no foreign coaches as of now. We will be looking at Indian coaches," Kalita told the same agency.
Presently, the responsibility of grooming the leading Indian male boxers falls on the shoulders of CA Kuttappa, the lone Indian in the coaching staff.
Indian boxers produce a dismal showing in Olympic Qualifiers
There were nine boxers from India who participated in the recent Olympic Qualifiers in Italy. None of them, barring one, managed to reach even the second round.
Of the seven male and two female boxers in the qualifiers, the best performer was Nishant Dev, who made it to the quota bout in the light-middleweight 71 kg category. However, in the all-important contest, he lost to USA's Omari Jones 4-1.
As things stand, four Indian female boxers have qualified for the Paris Olympics. These four are - Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain, Parveen Hooda, and Preeti Pawar. While Borgohain won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, Zareen is a two-time World Champion. They would be the country's top medal contenders in Paris.
As for the other Indian boxers in the fray, they will have one more chance to make it to the 2024 Olympics. The second and final Olympic Qualifiers will take place from May 23-June 3, in Bangkok, Thailand.