Tathagata Bhattacharjee
Nepal boxers train in SAI Guwahati
Guwahati: While the Himalayan nation of Nepal is still coping with the devastation that struck them last month, their boxers are also preparing their best to make the country proud at the upcoming Asian Games.And to help them in their endeavour, Sports Authority of India (SAI) has hosted Nepal’s boxing team here with joint training sessions and competitions with Indian boxers to provide them with valuable exposure ahead of the continental event.The team, comprising seven boxers and two coaches, has been training at SAI National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) here since August 10, more than a fortnight before the flash floods caused havoc back home. However, with their families in Nepal all safe, the team will continue its camp till September 15 before heading straight to Japan, where the competition will start on September 19.“The collaboration reached another important milestone with friendly boxing matches at SAI regional centre from August 24 to 28,” said SAI Guwahati’s executive director, DK Mittal. “The competition provided valuable match exposure to the Nepalese delegation while strengthening sporting interaction and camaraderie between athletes from the two countries.”The squad includes Ramisha Shrestha (51kg), Asmita Duwal (54kg), Kusum Tamang (65kg), Chandra Bahadur Thapa (55kg), Khagendra Roka Magar (60kg), Dan Bahadur Darlami (70kg) and Rabin Nepal (90kg), along with coaches Raj Shrestha and Deepak Maharjan.The boxers have also been training under SAI boxing coaches Narendra Rana, Trideep Borah and Pranamika Borah, with sessions focusing on technical development, physical conditioning, tactical preparation and competitive readiness.The SAI coaches said the training stint has also served as a valuable team-building exercise between athletes from India and Nepal. The Nepalese boxers have had opportunities to train and spar with boxers from Indian Army and Meghalaya across different weight categories, exposing them to varied styles and tactical approaches.“Nepal boxers are here to learn from us, and at the same time, they share their techniques with us. They are good and have prepared well. But the Asian Games will be very tough for them because, as you know, Asian boxers are among the best in world rankings. So it will be a very tough competition for them, but they are well prepared,” said coach Trideep.The camp is being conducted on a no-cost-to-SAI basis, with Nepal Boxing Federation bearing expenses related to travel, visas, medical insurance and other incidental costs. The initiative highlights the potential of SAI Guwahati to become a regional high-performance hub while adding a sporting dimension to India-Nepal relations.
