Australian boxers to come to India for joint training

Deprived of competitive boxing for a major part of the past four years, Indian boxers can look forward to some action early next year when their counterparts from Australia come here in February to participate in a training-cum-competition event.
"We had invited the Australian team and they have accepted our invitation to come in February. Before that the women's team will be going to Serbia for a competition," Boxing Federation of India (BFI) President Ajay Singh told reporters here on the sidelines of the opening day of men's National Championships here.
The Australian team's joint exercise with Indian boxers would be the first by a foreign team in more than five years.

Besides, the BFI also welcomed the International Boxing Association's recent decision to let professional boxers compete in the national championships.
"Although it is too late for this Championship but we will definitely be open to having a bigger pool of boxers fighting it out for the national spots," Singh said.
40 medallists and all those who hold out promise would be selected for the men's national camp to be held after the event.

"We will be on the lookout for talented boxers, even those who do not win medals," he said.
With long-time men's coach G S Sandhu handed charge of women boxers, the hunt is on for a suitable replacement for male pugilists.

"We have zeroed in on a few names and very soon there will be an announcement," Singh said.