Elite women’s head coach Mohammed Ali Qamar wants the boxers to seek inspiration from Indians’ past performances to excel in future.
Qamar, who was the first boxer from the country to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal (in light flyweight) in Manchester, said the top performers of yesteryear always set a benchmark.
“After I won the gold medal in 2002, Akhil Kumar did it in 2006 and others won it in following editions. Our boxers (Vijender Singh and Mary Kom) have already won bronze medals in the Olympics. Now, we should try to change the colour,” Qamar told Sportstar .
According to Qamar, the Indians were better equipped to achieve bigger glory.
“In 2002, we had only one doctor and the coaches. The biggest source of motivation for me was that the government raised the cash award from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh within days. Getting a rousing reception like (the then India cricket captain) Sourav Ganguly on reaching Kolkata was unexpected, though.
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“There is no comparison between the facilities we used to get and what the boxers are getting today. Now, there is a full team of support staff. The boxers have got the supplements, sponsors and all sorts of backing. They have been winning medals everywhere.
“It’s not a question of whether we can win medals in a tournament, it’s a question of whether we can win the gold... We must raise our performance in the Olympics,” said Qamar.
While inspiring the boxers to go for Olympics medals, Qamar – who is overseeing the national camp at NIS Patiala – does not mind being away from his family on Eid al-Adha or skipping the twin celebrations on his son’s birthday. “My son’s birthday is on August 16. Every year, we celebrate my Commonwealth Games victory and his birthday together. This time it is going to be different,” said Qamar.
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