Indian Women's Boxing Team Sets Sights on Olympic Quotas for LA 2028

Indian women's boxing coach Santiago Nieva is setting ambitious goals for the team, aiming to secure Olympic quotas for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Following a successful performance at the 2026 Asian Games, where the team won three medals, Nieva emphasizes the importance of early qualification to allow for thorough preparation. With the World Championships in Kazakhstan on the horizon, the coach is optimistic about forming a strong team. The dedicated support system at the Sports Authority of India National Centre of Excellence is crucial for their success. As the team gears up for future challenges, Nieva remains focused on achieving greatness at the next Olympics.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 8, 2026, 00:29 IST

Focus on Future Olympic Success

In New Delhi, Indian women's boxing coach Santiago Nieva is already planning ahead, shifting focus from the recent 2026 Asian Games, where the team secured three medals, including two golds. The priority now is to secure as many Olympic quotas as possible for the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Games.

The initial step in the Olympic qualification journey will take place at the World Championships in Kazakhstan in 2027. Notable performances included gold medals from Lovlina Borgohain (women's 75 kg), Parveen Hooda (women's 65 kg), and Ankush Panghal (men's 80 kg), alongside a bronze from Priya Ghanghas (women's 60 kg), marking India's best performance in terms of gold medals at the event.

Nieva shared with SAI Media, "The first qualifier will be in Kazakhstan, which is the World Championships, where ideally we get as many quotas there as possible. Later on, there will be the Asian Olympic Qualifier, and 2028 will have another two Olympic Qualifiers."

The Indian women's boxing team had an impressive year, highlighted by a remarkable performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where they won six medals, including five golds, and a three-medal haul at Aichi-Nagoya. Coach Nieva is determined to ensure that as many athletes as possible qualify for the LA 2028 Games early, allowing ample time for Olympic-specific training.

"If we qualify next year early on, we will have a good preparation time," Nieva emphasized. He acknowledged the challenges ahead but remains hopeful about forming a strong team for the Olympics.

Nieva, who previously served as the High Performance Director for Indian Boxing from 2017 to 2021, resumed his role in 2025 as the head coach of the National Women’s Team. He credits the team's success this year to a comprehensive preparation program that included international competitions, domestic training camps, and quality sparring.

The Indian women's boxing squad has been diligently training at the Sports Authority of India National Centre of Excellence in Patiala in anticipation of major international competitions. Nieva highlighted the robust support system in place, noting that around 40 individuals, including 20 coaches and an equal number of support staff, are dedicated to assisting the boxers.

"We have a staff of 40 people working with the boxers, around 20 coaches and another additional 20 support staff. We have improvements in all areas, sports science, the boxing hall, the boxing equipment and so on," he stated. Nieva believes that the setup is on par with the best boxing programs globally, asserting, "I would say there are not many countries who have better support."

Additionally, India has hosted teams from the Dominican Republic and Iran in Patiala for training before heading to Japan for final preparations, where the boxers benefited from further quality sparring. "We had a good final preparation in Japan where we also got good sparring. We came very well prepared for the Asian Games. However, we cannot rest on this. We must continue looking forward, as we all aim for great success at the next Olympics," Nieva concluded.