Indian boxers need to improve concentration: Naudiyal

Jamshedpur: Former National Champion pugilist Rakesh Naudiyal on Sunday claimed that Indian boxers have potential to grab gold in the 2012 London Olympics but their concentration level needs to improve.

It is not that we do not have good boxers but we lacked mental power, which needed to be improve, a former International and federation cup champion Naudiyal said. “We have plenty of boxers who can deliver powerful punches and technically sound but we are failing the moment it mattered most,” Naudiyal, a 1992 Thailand Junior Asian Silver medalist said. Asked about the preparation of our boxers for the quadrennial sports in event in London next year, he said the ongoing 34th National Games was a part of our preparation but certainly, we lagging much behind compared to other nations as far as next Olympic games was concerned. Naudiyal strongly advocated for frequent exposures abroad before the Olympics as it would enhance the confidence as well as technical level of our boxers.Naudiyal, who was the national champion for three years in a trot from 1994 to 96 and also a silver medalist of International YMCA boxing champion in the 51 kgs weight category, said India has good prospect of winning gold in lower weight category as the boxers in those weight class are fast with good footwork and having capacity to deliver powerful punches as well as technically sound. “We have to engaged them in regular practice to improve their performance,” he said. Naudiyal suggested that the Boxing Federation should identify talents at tender age and there are plenty of talents in backward areas of Uttaranchal, Maharashtra, Bihar etc. “The only thing we are required to do was that we should identify them and nurtured them properly in the urban areas assuring them employment,” he said. Naudiyal also felt that due to parliality in the International Boxing Federation, Indian boxing couldn’t flourish.“We had number of good pugilists of international repute in the 1990s but unfortunately, they could not earned name and fame due to parliality in the International Boxing Federation,” he said. Naudiyal also accused a former President of IBF for taking a negative posture against Indian boxers in majority of international events and made all possible effort to prevent them from advancing into quarter-final stages of the championship deliberately for over a decade in 1990s. “We have started winning medals ever since the official, who passed away few years ago, left the position, Naudiyal said. PTI