Jamshedpur: The Indian Boxing Federation
(IBF) has started looking for a foreign coach in an attempt to
ensure that the country's women boxers make it to the podium
during the 2012 London Olympics.
"We have been searching for a foreign coach for women but
not being able to get a suitable one yet," the Secretary
General of IBF, P K Murlidharan Raja, said.
"It is not that we didn't get anyone but the things could
not be finalised because to language barriers," he added.
Raja explained that even though a number of coaches,
including from Russia, approached but they needed a full-time
interpreter, which was not possible to provide.
"We are negotiating with some coaches but nothing is
final," said Raja, expressing hope of roping in a foreign
coach soon.
He also said that IBF, which had its annual general
meeting here yesterday, has taken some decision to promote the
boxing as well as the boxers.
"IBF has approved a proposal to hold Indian Boxing league
on the lines of Indian Premier League (IPL) from second half
of this year, probably in September," said Raja.
Initially, the IBL will be conducted in four cities for
men only and a Mumbai-based company -- Percept D-Mark -- has
own the franchise for the purpose.
"We have plans to organise the IBL in four franchise
owned cities across the country and efforts are on to make it
a success," he said.
Raja said that depending on the IBL's success, it will
introduced for women as well.
"IBL will be a domestic affair and aimed to promote our
boxers but we will allow a couple of foreign boxers, just like
foreign cricketers play in the IPL," said Raja.
He, however, said the Federation was yet to decide on the
about number of foreign pugilists to be allowed in the league.
"I do not think it should be more than two and they will
be allowed in between weight category," he said.
"We also had plan to introduce 'fight nights', a
tournament between two nations," he added, stating that while
Pakistan has agreed to send their boxers, Australia was yet to
respond to our proposal.
"The basic motive behind it was to promote boxing with
some entertainments," he said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 21, 2011, 21:05