Tokyo Olympics: 'Time for final exam,' says Santiago Nieva

Indian boxing’s High Performance Director Santiago Nieva insists hard work put in won’t count if there are no medals to show at Tokyo Games

“It’s like the big final exam after studying hard,” said Indian boxing’s High Performance Director Santiago Nieva, a touch nervous but mostly excited ahead of his own Olympic debut, aware that all the good work of past four years wouldn’t count if there is no medal to show in Tokyo.

In an interview before the nine Olympic-qualified boxers left for Tokyo on Saturday, Nieva spoke about the many changes that have been brought in to the boxers’ approach and technique for a successful Olympic outing.

Santiago Nieva. Pic/PTI

“A little tense, not all the times but sometimes. Mostly I am excited because it is like the final exam after all the hard work,” Nieva said when asked about his thoughts heading to Tokyo.

“This is my first Olympics, I was there in London 2012 as an expert on the sport, if that counts for anything,” he added. The nine boxers and the support staff landed in the Japanese capital on Sunday morning and cleared the COVID-19 related health safety protocols to enter the Games village smoothly following expected procedural delays.

“Everything that we have done so far, all that we have worked on will not be appreciated if we don’t get an Olympic medal. I am aware of that,” Nieva said. The five Indian male boxers who will compete in Tokyo are World No. 1 Amit Panghal (52kg), Manish Kaushik (63kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg), Ashish Choudhary (75kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg). The women in fray are six-time world champ MC Mary Kom (51kg), Simranjit Kaur (60kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg).

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