BFI to return to old selection system

Coach Dmitruk unlikely to get extension
NEW DELHI: In the aftermath of Indian boxers' underwhelming performance at the ongoing Paris Olympics, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is looking at reverting to the traditional system of holding trials to select teams for important events. BFI is thinking of abolishing the contentious 'evaluation test' process at national camps as introduced by former high performance director Bernard Dunne.

According to sources, post the Paris Games, the federation's top officials will sit with the selection committee and other stakeholders for a brainstorming session to chart out a new path. This will include introducing back the system of selection trials as has long been demanded by boxers and coaches alike.

"The process of evaluation test hasn't yielded desired results. While we still have two boxers in the medal fray and there's hope, it will be in the best interest of everyone to revert to the system of holding selection trials," said a source.

When Dunne had joined the Indian boxing set up in Oct '22, he did away with the selection trials and brought the evaluation test - a system which was time and again criticised following India's dismal show at some international tournaments. In fact, when all of the country's nine participating boxers had failed to secure a single Paris Olympics quota place at the world boxing qualifiers in Italy earlier this year, the Irishman was sacked by the federation.

At the Paris Games, four of the six competing Indian boxers have already crashed out of the event, failing to even clear the Round of 16 hurdle. It's also been learnt that Irishman Dmitry Dmitruk, who was hired as the chief foreign coach to train the country's elite men and women teams, won't be retained post Paris.


Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.