With less than three months to go till the Asian Games – which will be the first qualification tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics , Bhaskar Bhatt has resigned as coach of the Indian women’s boxing national team.
“Bhaskar Bhatt has been transferred by Sports Authority of India (SAI) back to at Rohtak’s National Centre of Excellence in boxing,” said an official with the Boxing Federation of India. Bhatt did not respond to a request for comment.
While Bhat has returned to Rohtak, the national women’s boxing camp to prepare for the Asian Games has been in progress at Patiala’s National Institute of Sports (NIS) since April.
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Bhatt was appointed head of the elite women’s squad in November 2021. The national team gave a good account of themselves at the 2023 International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Boxing Championship held in March.
Nitu (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), and Saweety Boora (81kg) won gold medals in their respective weight categories.
Bhatt had played an important role in the development of several of the women’s boxers. Speaking to Sportstar last year, Nikhat Zareen had credited Bhatt with motivating her ahead of her breakout performance at the 2022 Strandja Memorial tournament where she would win gold.
“Before going into the wing for the semifinal bout against Tokyo Olympics silver medallist (Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkey) in the Strandja Memorial (I had lost to her in the 2021 Bosphorous event with a unanimous decision) Bhatt Sir asked me to box like a champion without resting my hands. My confidence got boosted and I was determined to give 100 per cent. After in the first round I led 3-2, in the second round I led 4-1 and was excited to win it. It was unbelievable. I was very emotional,” Zareen had said.
“In December 2021 I started working with Bhatt Sir. Our understanding is good. Hope it continues like this,” Nikhat had told Sportstar.
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