Santiago Nieva interview: ‘You need to make sure that the programme is strong enough that if one or two of your stronger boxers fail, others can step up’

Excerpts:

Q. Your first thoughts on returning to India?

A. I come with a very positive mindset. I first came to India as men’s head coach and my role grew as HPD in my five years with the team. The first task will be to understand the current competitive status of women boxers and to try to make improvements, wherever required. Most of them know the way I work and my philosophy.

ALSO READ | Outgoing high-performance director Santiago Nieva on the highs and lows of his India boxing stint

Q. The Indian team returned empty-handed from the Paris Olympics. Have you kept track of Indian boxing since you left and can you share what went wrong there?

A. Since I was not in the camp, it’s difficult to give an opinion. Great Britain ended up with only two medals after winning six in Tokyo. You need to make sure that the programme is strong enough that if one or two of your stronger boxers fail, others can step up. There were three weight categories in women’s boxing in Rio, five in Tokyo, six in Paris and now seven in LA. It means more chances to medal.

FILE IMAGE: Santiago Nieva had stepped down from Indian boxing’s High Performance Director (HPD) role three years ago. (Express photo by Jasbir Malhi)

Q. At this year’s World Championships, India won four medals including one gold in an Olympic category (Jaismine Lamboriya in 57kg) while Kazakhstan, Poland, Turkey and China won medals in different Olympic weight categories. What do the Indian women boxers need to do to land medals in LA?

A. Obviously, we need to focus on Olympic weight categories. Having good boxers in non-Olympic weights closer to Olympic weights is also an advantage. Next year’s Commonwealth Games as well as the Asian Games will be a strong indication of where we stand. With Uzbekistan too having a good women’s boxing programme, we need to win medals at the Asian Games. A boxer needs to have offensive as well defensive tools to handle different situations. The likes of Minakshi Hooda and Jaismine, along with Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain, have great skills. Kazakh and Chinese girls have great boxing skills with good technique at a high pace. But we have seen them struggle when opponents are awkward. We need to ensure that while our top level is high, our low level is not that low and we hold ourselves in close bouts.

Santiago Nieva during his time with the Australian boxing team prior to signing with Boxing Federation of India. (Special Arrangement)

Q. Any blueprint for the next three years for the LA Olympics?

A. The focus will be to evolve as well as get the basics, tactics and power in a right mix. In the last Olympic cycle, I have been impressed by how Poland has risen up the ranks in world boxing. It comes through tactical understanding and an environment where all the coaches can work on minute details as well as try to give boxers tools in terms of strength and tactics so that they are also able to limit their potential weakness. France, which won six medals in Rio, did not win a medal in Tokyo. But then they won three in Paris. The key is to get international exposure and face stronger opponents in the Olympic cycle and then work Individually with each boxer as per their strength areas, mastering more variations and building on the process year by year.

Q. You were an advocate of ‘no trials’ during your earlier stint. What are your thoughts now?

A. I have always believed that trials are not the only way to select a team. That’s old school. I believe we need to back the boxers who have shone on the international arena. The one who loses out will always complain but they can also become the best. As a coach, I always want my number one boxer in the team. Yes, there can be 2-3 boxers who are very close in terms of form or talent in some category, and coaches can assess that. But in most cases, it’s not difficult to select the number one boxer over a period.