Commonwealth Games 2022: Female boxing coach Sandhya Gurung assured of accreditation by Tuesday after being denied access to Games village

Sandhya Gurung, coach of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain, wasn’t allowed to enter the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Village on Monday as her official accreditation is yet to come.

“I was denied access to the Games Village as I didn’t have had accreditation. So, I had to spend most of the day in the hotel,” Sandhya told Sportskeeda over the phone from Birmingham late Monday evening.

“I have been assured by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) team in Birmingham that by Tuesday I will have access to the Games Village.”

The BFI selected four boxers for the CWG 2022 competition. Nitu (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (52kg), Jasmine (60kg) and Lovilina Borgohain (70kg).

I wasn't aware that Lovlina raised the issue on social media - Sandhya

Lovlina Borgohain clinched the bronze medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020

Sandhya, a Dronacharya awardee in Boxing, came to know that her games accreditation hasn’t come a day before the national boxing team left New Delhi on July 10 for an exposure tour to Ireland.

“Initially, I was told to go back to India after the Ireland camp. But Lovlina insisted that I should stay to oversee her training and I agreed,” Sandhya added.

Confusion prevailed as she didn’t get the game's accreditation on her arrival in Birmingham after the camp in Ireland was over.

“I was told by the BFI that game accreditation will be processed in Birmingham. But it never happened. I wasn’t aware that Lovlina raised the issue on the social media platform," Sandhya said of the development.

To prepare four-member women’s boxing team for the Commonwealth Games, BFI shortlisted four coaches, including chief women’s boxing coach Bhaskar Bhatt for the Ireland camp.

Of the four coaches, Bhatt and assistant coach Pranmika Bora were issued accreditation. While assistant coaches Mahavir Singh and Sandhya Gurung were asked to return to India after the Ireland camp as they weren’t included in the official list of coaches by the BFI, which triggered the debate.

The Commonwealth Games 2022 boxing competition starts July 29 and Sandhya expressed her concern about not overseeing Lovlina’s training in the days before the major competition of the year.

“Let’s wait for another day. Hope the issue will be resolved,” the Dronacharya awardee said.

Lovlina, little than a year post her bronze medal win at Tokyo 2020, is one of India's biggest medal hopes heading into the Commonwealth Games 2022.