In a significant development for Indian sports, high-performance boxing coach Santiago Nieva has made a high-energy return to the national setup, this time taking charge of the women's team with a clear-eyed focus on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Nieva, who previously worked with the men's squad, expressed immense excitement and confidence in his ability to guide India's talented female pugilists to the Olympic podium.
From Potential to Podium: Nieva's Olympic Blueprint
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Nieva highlighted the existing strength of Indian women's boxing but stressed the urgent need to translate world championship success into Olympic glory. He pointed out that at the recent world championships in Liverpool, India won four medals, but only one—Jaismine's gold in the 57kg category—came in an Olympic weight class. "We need to be very strong in the Olympic weights. That's my priority," Nieva asserted. He acknowledged the fierce competition, particularly from a dominant China and a strong Asian contingent, emphasizing that India must strive to be better than its rivals.
Drawing from his successful stint with the Australian women's team, where he oversaw Olympic and world championship medal wins, Nieva is confident his methods will yield results in India. "I am super excited, coming with tremendous energy. Hopefully, I can do good work and get the desired results," he stated. His philosophy hinges on systematic, high-quality, and organized training, adapted to the evolving Indian sporting landscape of 2025 and beyond.
Building Depth and Rethinking Selection
A key part of Nieva's strategy involves creating a deep talent pool to ensure medal chances aren't derailed by a single bad draw or an off day. He cited the example of Lovlina Borgohain's bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, which came when other top contenders like Amit Panghal and Mary Kom fell short. "If we do a good job, we will have plenty of boxers who can qualify, and those who can are good enough to win medals," he explained, advocating for a system of competition periodization.
Nieva also revisited his known stance on team selection, reiterating his belief that coaches should have the primary authority to pick teams, especially when they work with athletes daily in centralized training camps. He emphasized the critical role of international competitions in assessing a boxer's readiness against global opponents to ultimately select the true number one contender in each weight class.
Ambitious Targets for 2028
Nieva has set unequivocally high benchmarks for his tenure. His aim is for the Indian women's boxing team to win three or four gold medals at world championships and replicate that success at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. This return marks a strategic move by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) to leverage Nieva's proven expertise and international experience to break the inconsistency often seen between world championships and Olympic performances.
With his blend of experience, a clear methodology, and "tremendous energy," Santiago Nieva's second innings in Indian boxing is poised to be a crucial chapter in the nation's quest for Olympic boxing dominance. All eyes will now be on how his roadmap unfolds in the lead-up to the 2028 Games.
