National camp kick-starts with 11 elite boxers in Patiala, more boxers to join soon
Sparring with a partner is not allowed in the camps right now
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The national boxing camp resumed on Monday with a group of 11 elite boxers, including Olympic aspirants Amit Phangal and Pooja Rani under high-performance director Santiago Nieva at the NIS in Patiala. The coach insisted that the players need to adapt 'new waysâ of training post lockdown.
After an anxious four long months and what seemed like a never-ending list of hurdles, the National Boxing Camp finally kick-started at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala, on Monday. A group of 11 elite boxers, including Amit Phangal and Pooja Rani were shortlisted and then invited for the camp by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), which is being overseen by high-performance coach Santiago Nieva. According to Nieva, the intensity of the training will be gradually increased and they'll have to adapt the ânew waysâ of training like others.
âThis week it will not be too hard. We will increase the load little by little. We have to adapt like anybody else. Right now, there cannot be not much sparring anyway. We have to see when we are allowed to spar. This is the first preparatory phase. We have to build up the boxers physically before concentrating on boxing,â said Santiago Nieva, as reported by Sportstar.
It is also learned that the camp will invite 10 more boxers in August while an additional intake of the same as September approaches to make the camp complete. Meanwhile, three more boxers are expected to join the camp on Tuesday, after completing their quarantine period.
âWe are planning to take 10 more boxers in August and another 10 in September to make the camp complete. I found the boxers in good spirits even after they had three weeks of quarantine. It has been a long time most of them have been without proper conditioning. Now, there is no need to look back," added the coach.
