‘Our boxers need to train more abroad’

Becoming the youngest president of the Indian boxing Federation,how do you see your role in the set-up with Abhay Chautala being the chairman of the federation?

I never expected to become the president at this point of time. Having represented my state in athletics events,I had knowledge about sports. I was always a keen follower of sports. I accompanied the Indian boxing team to the 2009 Chicago World Cup,I had been following the sport since then. Chautala ji urged me to contest the elections and I am excited to have got the chance to use the platform and work for the promotion and betterment of the sport. I see this as an opportunity to bring fresh talent in Indian boxing and take the sport to another level.

You also accompanied the Indian boxing team to London Olympics. What went wrong in London for Indian boxers and also what according to you dented chances of Indian boxers of winning any medal?

I do not think the performance of the Indians boxers was that bad. We were just unfortunate as some decisions went against us and also we lost crucial points during some bouts. The boxers were enthusiastic before the Olympics and trained hard in Ireland. Some of the foreign coaches praised our boxers like Devendro Singh and Sumit Sangwan who I think are the talents to watch out for in the future. Vijender lost a close bout and had he won,we could have got a medal.

What according to you will be the key area of improvement for Indian boxers in the coming time? And what are your plans for the four-year tenure as the president of IBF?

One of the most important aspects of boxing is having proper training and getting exposure trips. We need our boxers to train abroad so that they can acclimatise themselves and compete with top-class boxers. We would also request the Sports Ministry to provide more coaches to the boxers in order to become more professional and precise. We need to groom young boxers for Rio Olympics. Most of the boxers come from small states like Haryana and Manipur,we need to scout more talent from other states as well.

The men’s Senior Nationals are scheduled to take place later this month. The men’s tournament will be held in Andra Pradesh while Women’s nationals will be held in Guwahati. What are the federation’s plans for the tournaments?

We have announced the venue and dates for the men’s nationals. Hyderabad will host the men’s nationals and most of the top boxers of the country are expected to take part in the championship. The women’s nationals will be held in December as per schedule and we expect to see participation from more than 300 boxers.