After getting appointed as the Indian women’s boxing head coach, Santiago Nieva says the team carries potential and has hopes of winning a medal beyond bronze at the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. The team suffered disappointments in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Nieva served as India’s high-performance director (HPD) from 2017 to 2022 and has been working closely with the Australian team since then. He will now make his return to India to shape the future of the women’s squad.
While speaking to PTI from Australia, Nieva said, “The Indian women’s team is really strong, and I think it’s important to win those Olympic medals that weren’t possible to secure in Paris.”
He also added, “So, I thought that with the potential there is with the women’s team and all those excellent boxers, I would like to contribute there so that we can make history in LA and go beyond a single bronze medal.”
Nieva went on to admit that he hasn’t kept track of the Indian female boxers closely enough to prepare them but knows the whereabouts of their individual performances. He is, however, expected to start his tenure as the head coach in the coming month after completing some visa formalities.
“I need to come to India to see how things are going. I know that the women are doing really well. So, obviously something is being done right. Of course I have my way of working, and I have my previous experience in India. A lot of that I’m sure can be used,” he mentioned.
Under Nieva’s guidance, India’s Amit Panghal gave the country its first and only silver medal in the men’s World Championships and the highest-ever participation in the Tokyo Olympics. His addition to the Indian team comes ahead of the 2026 season, which will see the team in participation at major events, including the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
“But I need to come there and take it step by step. I did that last time I came to India as well. The first two weeks I just observed and saw how things were going and then I implemented some changes which I thought could bring improvements. But not everything at once,” he concluded.
Only three Indian boxers, both men and women, have won Olympic medals; that includes Vijender Singh in 2008, MC Mary Kom in 2012, and Lovlina Borgohain in 2020. All these three boxers won the bronze medal. In the last Games held in Paris, Indian boxers came without medals won in boxing.
This year, the Indian women boxers won four medals, which includes two gold from the World Championships.
Inputs sourced from [Sportstar]
