New Delhi: Indian women’s boxing team head coach Bhaskar Bhatt has left his room in Commonwealth Games Village to accommodate Olympic bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain‘s personal coach Sandhya Gurung.
Bhatt has checked into a designated Games hotel nearby.
“I have moved to a hotel that is a 10-minute walk from the village,” Bhatt told PTI.
It was a voluntary move by the national team’s head coach, who ensured that the team’s lone Olympic medalist was in a good mental state with her coach nearby.
Related | Lovlina’s coach denied entry at CWG 2022, boxer alleges harassment
“I’ve offered to do it (give up his room) because it’s all ghar ka mamla (internal affair) and it’s best to sort things out among themselves,” the mild-mannered Bhatt added.
Bhatt, who took over as senior head coach last year, still has access to all venues and the Games Village. The only change is that he can’t stay in the village overnight.
“I have all the necessary access, so it’s not a problem for me,” Bhatt said.
Under Bhatt, the Indian women’s team returned to the World Cup in May with three medals, including a gold.
On Monday, Lovlina, Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo, claimed that her preparation was compromised by the “constant harassment” of her coaches.
Gurung was added to the Indian contingent just days before the Games were due to begin, resulting in a delay in her accreditation.
When she arrived here on Sunday, she was not allowed to enter the village because she did not have accreditation, leading to a Twitter tirade from her ward. She was checked into the hotel where the additional officials were staying.
In a lengthy social media post on Monday, Lovlina said she felt “mentally harassed” as it was a struggle to add her coaches to the squad.
Also read | After Lovlina Claims Harassment, BFI Increases Boxers Support Staff to 8
In its defense, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) said the rules allow only 33 percent of the playing contingent as support staff.
The Indian boxing contingent has 12 playing members (8 men and 4 women) and according to the rules, the number of support staff will be four including traveling coaches.
However, with help from the IOA, the quota was increased to eight.
Team doctor is also moving from the village
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Gurung received her accreditation on Tuesday, but that was at the expense of team doctor Karanjit Chib, who also needs a letter of approval from the CDM every day during the Games.
Chib was one of eight boxing officials in the Indian contingent, but to accommodate Gurung, his accreditation was changed to that of P coach.
“The accreditation of the team doctor has been changed to P-coach. That means he has to get a letter of permission/pass from the chef de mission every morning to access the Games Village,” said BFI director Col Arun Malik.
“By changing the accreditation, we have kept the number of officials in the camp the same and the adjustment has been made so that everyone has benefited.
“The doctor will be staying at the hotel and will be available all day and during training,” Malik added.
The team doctors are not present in the ring anyway, as the doctors provided by the organizers take care of all the medical needs of the boxers during the matches.
Also read | From Sikkim with Love: How Coach Sandhya turned Gurung Lovlina into a ‘Lion’
