Act against coaches, officials who caused boxing downfall: Vijender, Kom

They are appalled, they are angry and they want accountability to be fixed.

Indian boxing’s biggest names are demanding an all systems reboot to halt the sport’s decline after a medal-less Olympic campaign in Rio and their roadmap goes beyond having the much-delayed national federation.

From the country’s first Olympic medallist in boxing, Vijender Singh, to Commonwealth Games gold-medallists Akhil Kumar and Mohd Ali Qamar to the much-decorated MC Mary Kom, Indian boxing stalwarts stood united in their cry for change.

“There has to be some accountability. First there should be a federation and secondly there should be action against officials and coaches who are responsible for the current state of Indian boxing,” Vijender, who is now playing in the professional circuit, told PTI from London.

Read | Vijender Singh pleads for an end to boxing’s administrative mess in India

“As for the roadmap ahead, the coaching staff should be overhauled. What’s the problem? The schedule in the national camp has not changed for so many years. We need fresh ideas. If we have to move forward, we have to be ruthless and change the system,” he asserted.

Only three Indian boxers had qualified for the Rio Games, a sharp decline from the 8 who made the cut four years ago for the London edition. In fact, not a single woman boxer managed to qualify for the Games this time.