TOI Exclusive: Santiago Nieva Set to Make Comeback as Head…

In a significant development for Indian boxing, popular Swedish coach Santiago Nieva is poised to return to India as the head coach of the national women’s boxing team. Previously, Nieva served as the High Performance Director for the men’s team from 2017 to 2022, and now he is ready to guide the elite women boxers to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

As per reports, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) plans to offer Nieva a three-year contract worth $12,000 per month, which is double what he used to earn during his previous tenure. However, this contract is still subject to final approval from the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

This comeback is quite strategic, given the medal-less outcome at the 2024 Paris Olympics. One senior BFI official disclosed that Nieva is eager to work with the Indian elite women boxers, as he believes there is immense untapped potential in the squad.

During his previous tenure, Nieva was instrumental in some historic wins, including Amit Panghal’s silver and Manish Kaushik’s bronze at the 2019 men’s World Championships. After the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Nieva stepped down in 2022 and collaborated with the Australian national team.

Meanwhile, Abhishek Malviya, who possesses experience as the men’s youth chief coach and a solid reputation for his grassroots work and technical training modules, is being considered for the role of chief coach for the men’s national team. The final confirmation about his appointment is expected soon.