The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) appointed Santiago Nieva as the head coach of the Indian women’s national boxing team, marking the return of one of world boxing’s most accomplished high‑performance leaders.
Nieva earlier served as India’s High Performance Director from 2017 to 2021. Now, he re‑enters the system as the nation prepares for a crucial Olympic cycle.
Meanwhile, India’s women’s team delivered a stunning performance at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 in Greater Noida, winning seven gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. Moreover, several podium finishes came in key Olympic weight categories, strengthening India’s prospects for Los Angeles 2028.
Nieva expressed confidence in the squad and said, “I have had great success working with women boxers in the past. There is huge potential within the Indian women’s team, and in LA 2028, we’ll be aiming for something big and create history.”
In addition, Nieva brings over two decades of elite international coaching experience. He has held some of the most influential high‑performance roles in world boxing. During his previous tenure with India, he guided the country to two podium finishes at the 2019 Men’s World Championships. Furthermore, he oversaw India’s largest‑ever Olympic boxing squad at Tokyo 2020, where Lovlina Borgohain secured a breakthrough bronze.
BFI president Ajay Singh welcomed Nieva’s appointment and called it “an important step forward for our women’s programme.” He praised Nieva’s technical excellence and international insight. At the same time, he acknowledged the contributions of former head coach D. Chandralal, who will continue to play a key role in the coaching setup.
