Indian boxers need to improve concentration: Naudiyal

Jamshedpur, Feb 20 (PTI) Former National Championpugilist Rakesh Naudiyal today claimed that Indian boxers havepotential to grab gold in the 2012 London Olympics but theirconcentration level needs to improve.

It is not that we do not have good boxers but we lackedmental power, which needed to be improve, a formerInternational and federation cup champion Naudiyal said.

"We have plenty of boxers who can deliver powerfulpunches and technically sound but we are failing the moment itmattered most," Naudiyal, a 1992 Thailand Junior Asian Silvermedalist, told PTI.

Asked about the preparation of our boxers for thequadrennial sports in event in London next year, he said theongoing 34th National Games was a part of our preparation butcertainly, we lagging much behind compared to other nations asfar as next Olympic games was concerned.

Naudiyal strongly advocated for frequent exposures abroadbefore the Olympics as it would enhance the confidence as wellas technical level of our boxers.

Naudiyal, who was the national champion for three yearsin a trot from 1994 to 96 and also a silver medalist ofInternational YMCA boxing champion in the 51 kgs weightcategory, said India has good prospect of winning gold inlower weight category as the boxers in those weight class arefast with good footwork and having capacity to deliverpowerful punches as well as technically sound.

"We have to engaged them in regular practice to improvetheir performance," he said.

Naudiyal suggested that the Boxing Federation shouldidentify talents at tender age and there are plenty of talentsin backward areas of Uttaranchal, Maharashtra, Bihar etc.

"The only thing we are required to do was that we shouldidentify them and nurtured them properly in the urban areasassuring them employment," he said.

Naudiyal also felt that due to parliality in theInternational Boxing Federation, Indian boxing couldn''tflourish.

"We had number of good pugilists of international reputein the 1990s but unfortunately, they could not earned name andfame due to parliality in the International BoxingFederation," he said.

Naudiyal also accused a former President of IBF fortaking a negative posture against Indian boxers in majority ofinternational events and made all possible effort to preventthem from advancing into quarter-final stages of thechampionship deliberately for over a decade in 1990s.

"We have started winning medals ever since the official,who passed away few years ago, left the position, Naudiyalsaid.