Kulapradip Bhagawati

Guwahati, September 11: As the countdown to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games begins, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Guwahati has become the training home for Nepal's national boxing team. Seven boxers from Nepal — three women and four men — along with two coaches, have been camping at the Guwahati centre since August 10 for their final phase of preparations. The team will train here till September 15 before flying to Japan for the Asian Games starting September 19.The high-performance camp was organised following a formal request from the Nepal Boxing Federation to train at one of India's premier boxing centres.

Full High-Performance Support
The Nepal contingent includes Ramisha Shrestha (51kg), Asmita Duwal (54kg), Kusum Tamang (65kg), Chandra Bahadur Thapa (55kg), Khagendra Roka Magar (60kg), Dan Bahadur Darlami (70kg) and Rabin Nepal (90kg), accompanied by coaches Raj Shrestha and Deepak Maharjan.
At SAI NCOE, the visitors are training under coaches Narendra Rana, Trideep Borah and Pranamika Borah. The programme focuses on technical refinement, strength and conditioning, tactical planning and bout readiness. The boxers have also been given access to SAI’s sports science team, medical facilities, boarding and lodging, and have been sparring with Indian Army boxers and top boxers from Meghalaya to get varied styles and competitive exposure. A friendly Indo-Nepal boxing meet was also organised at the SAI Regional Centre from August 24 to 28 as part of the camp.

Sport as a Bridge
Executive Director of SAI Regional Centre, Guwahati, D.K. Mittal said such exchanges go beyond training.“This camp is an example of how sport connects people. The Nepal team is getting structured, high-quality training here, but more importantly, sporting exchanges like this strengthen friendship and cooperation between India and Nepal,” he said.
The visiting athletes also joined Indian athletes and staff for National Sports Day and Teachers’ Day celebrations at the centre, experiencing the community culture of the NCOE.SAI boxing coach Narendra Rana said the joint training has benefited both sides.“For our Indian boxers also, it has been a valuable experience. For the Nepal team, sparring with Army and Meghalaya boxers has helped them understand different tactical situations. We are happy to support them for the Asian Games,” Rana said.
For 51kg boxer Ramisha Shrestha, the camp has been a confidence booster.“The facilities, coaching and sparring quality here are excellent. We have improved a lot technically and physically. We are thankful to SAI for this opportunity,” she said.
The camp is being conducted on a no-cost-to-SAI basis, with the Nepal federation bearing international travel, visa, insurance and other expenses. The initiative underlines SAI Guwahati’s growing role as a high-performance hub for the entire eastern region and neighbouring countries, using sport to build stronger ties while preparing athletes for Asia’s biggest stage.

(Kulapradip Bhagawati is a prominent senior sports journalist from Assam, recognized as the first journalist from Northeast India to cover three major global sports events: the Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup, and the Cricket World Cup)