Shubhankar eyes a happy homecoming

In terms of statistics alone, Shubhankar Sharma has had a pretty consistent 2024 where he made the cut 21 times in 26 starts and had two top-10 finishes in Europe's DP World Tour.

- Shantanu Srivastava

NEW DELHI: Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain has pinned the blame of her medalless run at last year's Paris Games on lack of overseas exposure and personal coach. The 27-year-old was one of India's brightest medal hopes in Paris but crashed out in the quarter-final after a split decision loss to China's Li Qian, the Asian Games champ.

"There were multiple factors that led to our failed campaign. In terms of skills and mental strength, I don't think Indian boxers lacked anything. What we lacked in Paris cycle was guidance and management," Lovlina said from Guwahati where she has resumed her training for the upcoming National Games.

"I earned the quota at the Asian Games which was 8-10 months before the Olympics. I feel instead of sparring with familiar partners in India, the qualified boxers should have been sent overseas for better exposure," she said. The Indian boxing team travelled to Sofia for Strandja Memorial and a training camp in Montenegro in the months leading up to Paris, but Lovlina reckoned it was too little.

"Those trips did no good to those who had already qualified. It was worthwhile for those who were yet to make the cut, but for us, it was like a vacation," Lovlina, who stepped up from 69kg to 75kg for Paris, said. She also hinted at the exit of women's head coach Bhaskar Bhatt a year before the Games. "There was confusion regarding the coaches. I don't think having foreign coaches is the solution," she added.