Nieva back as women boxers’ coach, wants to set bar higher at LA Games by going ‘beyond bronze’

new delhi: Newly-appointed Indian women’s boxing head coach Santiago Nieva believes the current squad is brimming with potential, as he sets sights on creating history by going “beyond a bronze medal” at the 2028 Los Angles Olympics.

Nieva, who earlier served as India’s high-performance director from 2017 to 2022 and worked predominantly with the men’s team, returns to the country in a new capacity, to shape the future of the women’s squad.

“The Indian women’s team is really strong and I think it’s important to win those Olympic medals that weren’t possible to secure in Paris,” Nieva said.

“So, I thought that with the potential there is with the women’s team and all those excellent boxers, I would like to contribute there so that we can make history in LA and go beyond a single bronze medal.”

So far, only three Indian boxers have won Olympic medals -- Vijender Singh (2008), MC Mary Kom (2012) and Lovlina Borgohain (2020) -- and all of them have been bronze. In the last edition at Paris, Indian pugilists returned empty-handed.

Nieva is no stranger to breaking new ground. Under his guidance, Amit Panghal won India’s first and only silver medal in the men’s World Championships, while the country also achieved its highest-ever participation at the Tokyo Olympics.

He joins ahead of a demanding 2026 season packed with major events.