Santiago Nieva Returns as Head Coach to Supercharge India's Women's Boxing for LA 2028
Former HPD Santiago Nieva appointed women's team head coach with 3-year deal until Olympics.
Santiago Nieva, the Argentine-born Swedish Coach who previously served as High Performance Director for Indian boxing from 2017 to 2022, has been appointed head coach of the Indian women's national boxing team. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) confirmed the three-year contract on November 27, 2025, running until the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 with a monthly salary of $12,000—double his prior remuneration. Nieva replaces D Chandralal, who remains in the coaching staff, and will join by mid-December ahead of the National Championships starting December 25.
During his earlier tenure, Nieva oversaw India's largest-ever Tokyo Olympics boxing contingent, Lovlina Borgohain's bronze medal, Amit Panghal's historic 2019 World Championships silver, and Manish Kaushik's bronze, elevating India to world number one rankings. Post-India, he led Boxing Australia's High Performance Unit as National Head Coach and Technical Lead, bringing over two decades of elite experience including roles with Sweden and other nations. Nieva expressed excitement: "Super excited to come back to India... There is immense potential within the Indian women's team, and at LA 2028, we'll aim for something big and create history."
BFI President Ajay Singh hailed the appointment as a "major boost," praising Nieva's technical excellence and global insight to build on recent successes. Indian women boxers dominated 2025, sweeping all 10 medals (7 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze) at the World Boxing Cup Finals in Greater Noida—many in Olympic weights—and securing 4 medals including 2 gold at the World Championships. This follows a medal-less Paris 2024, positioning Nieva to drive podium consistency across categories.
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Nieva's strategic focus targets untapped women's potential through tailored high-performance systems, complementing domestic coaches like Chandralal. His return aligns with BFI's post-Paris roadmap for sustained global contention, leveraging recent momentum into the new Olympic cycle.
The appointment underscores India's evolving boxing ecosystem, blending international expertise with rising talent to challenge powerhouses ahead of major events like the 2026 World Championships and LA Olympics.
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