New Delhi, Aug 1: There will be greater focus on making Indian boxers mentally stronger for high-pressure events like the Olympics, Boxing Federation of India President Ajay Singh told PTI, ruling out any “knee jerk reactions” to the mixed bag of performances at the ongoing Games in Tokyo.
An unprecedented nine Indian boxers – five men and four women – made the cut for the shopwiece with Lovlina Borgohain securing the lone medal, India’s first in nine years, by advancing to the semifinals. Handed tricky draws, the men, however, could log just one win through super heavyweight Satish Kumar while world no.1 Amit Panghal lost in the opening round.
“Definitely it is not what was expected. I feel particularly bad about the defeats of (an injured) Vikas (Krishan) and Amit,” Singh said in a telephonic conversation from Tokyo, there to assess the campaign.
“I am very confident that had this group competed in the Olympics as scheduled last year, results would have been much better. Their rhythm was broken by the lockdowns, the momentum was affected.
“Now you would say it was same for others too, fair enough but we had a very, very deadly second wave too. The boxers and coaches tested positive as well. So it is not black and white. “Criticism is welcome but let’s not crucify people. I am going to back this bunch because even when they win, they are taking a hit on their faces and bodies.”
On Saturday, when Pooja Rani lost to former world champion Li Qian, Singh had rushed to give her a hug as she sobbed and he asserted that he truly believes in each every boxer. “I am going to support them, there is no question on that,” Singh said. And this support, he said, will also extend to the current coaching staff.
Singh said the focus for him after the Games would be to ensure better mental support to the boxers. “What I am seeing is that there is talent but we need to be mentally stronger. Olympics is a huge stage. We do have a full-time psychologist with the team but we will try to assess what more can be done. It is a brutal and lonely sport, our job is to ensure support,” he said. (PTI)
