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With less than 20 days to go for the start of Tokyo Olympics 2020, the Indian boxing team, currently based out of the Italian city of Assisi, has been hit by controversy.
Team doctor Karanjeet Singh is yet to get approval from the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) to travel to Japan. The team includes six-time world champion MC Mary Kom, considered a medal prospect at the Games.
“A medical expert who is familiar with combat sport injury treatment should travel with the boxing team as bruises or cuts are common even in practice. But at the moment we aren’t sure whether Karanjeet Singh will get the nod or not,” said a boxing coach associated with the national team.
The issue of personal coaches not getting approval from the BFI to travel to Japan is another controversy that could hit the boxing team hard in the coming days.
MC Mary Kom wants personal coach to accompany her to Tokyo Olympics 2020
Celebrated female boxer MC Mary Kom, who qualified for Tokyo Olympics 2020 in the 51kg category, wants her personal coach Chhote Lal Yadav to accompany her to Japan, while 2019 world silver medalist Amit Panghal, who will compete in Japan in the men's 52 kg category, is pitching for his personal coach Anil Dhankar to get accreditation for the Olympics.
“The issue of personal coaches could snowball into major controversy as other boxers in the team would also ask BFI to give accreditation to their personal coaches,” said an official familiar with the development.
India’s high performance director Santiago Nieva and men’s chief coach CA Kuttappa will accompany the five-member men’s boxing team to Japan, while foreign coach Raffaele Bergamasco and women’s chief coach Mohammed Ali Qamar are the two experts nominated by BFI to accompany the four-member women’s team to Japan.
Hemanta Kalita, secretary general of BFI wasn’t available for comment. He also didn’t respond to text messages.
According to a BFI official, Chhote Lal Yadav has also applied for the Dronacharya Award and is likely to push for his inclusion in the team for Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Even Mohammed Ali Qamar, chief coach of the women’s team going to Tokyo Olympics 2020, has applied for the Dronacharya Award.
