Boxers were feeling conflicted at the Elite Men’s Boxing National Championship due to the lack of a warm-up area in the bitter cold. During those two days, the temperature dropped below his five degrees, and the boxers rushed to makeshift tents outside the boxing hall at Choudhary Chalan Singh Haryana Agricultural College after the match.
“It is very difficult to warm up. There is no space for heating and cooling in the room. It’s possible,” said Govind Sahani, a bronze medalist at the 2022 Asian Championships who won the national title in the 48kg class.
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National-level coaches blamed the poor organization of the men’s national championships.Top teams such as the Railways and Services set up makeshift tents that boxers used as warm-up areas. Meanwhile, other boxers had to fend for themselves.
“The Indian Boxing Federation should not have held it here at this time, or at least ask the organizer, the Haryana State Boxing Association, to make appropriate arrangements. I was exposed to the cold after the game,” the coach said.
“I let them warm up more than 30 minutes before the fight. Boxers from North India were still used to it, but boxers from other regions found it difficult,” he said.
The indoor hall where the event was held was also not climate controlled and the rings were of poor quality.
“A good indoor hall, arena and ring are basic necessities for a national championship of this scale, but they weren’t there. I had to pay,” another coach said.
