Just a day after Tokyo Olympic medalist boxer Lovlina Borgohain accused the authorities of mental harassment via a tweet, her coach Sandhya Gurung was finally handed official accreditation for the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Birmingham on Tuesday (July 26).
Gurung was quoted as saying to ANI:
“I’ve acquired the accreditation for Commonwealth Video games 2022."
Earlier, Borgohain called out the authorities for hampering her practice sessions ahead of the quadrennial showpiece event by denying her coach's entry into the Commonwealth Games Village.
CWG is slated to take place between July 28 and August 8, 2022 in Birmingham, UK. The Indian boxing squad reached the Commonwealth Games Village on July 24 after a two-week long training session in Ireland.
Troubled by the fiasco despite repeated requests, Borgohain, an overwhelming medal favorite, expressed her displeasure in a Twitter post.
She wrote:
"Today with a lot of grief, I want to tell everyone about the continuous harassment going on with me. The coaches who helped me win an Olympic medal are always being side-lined which has severely impacted my training schedule."
She added:
"Right now, my coach Sandhya Gurung is standing outside the CWG village and not being allowed to enter. Just eight days before the start of my event, my training schedule has been hampered. My other coach has been sent back to India."
Immediately after Borgohain's tweet, the Department of Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India intervened in the matter and urged the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to immediately arrange accreditation for Lovlina Borgohain's coach.
Indian boxing contingent for CWG 2022:
Here's the full list of the 12-member Indian boxing contingent who have booked their spots at CWG 2022:
Men: Amit Panghal (51 kg), Mohammad Hussamuddin (57 kg), Shiva Thapa (63.5 kg), Rohit Tokas (67 kg), Sumit Kundu (75 kg), Ashish Chaudhary (80 kg), Sanjeet (92 kg), Sagar (92+ kg)
Women: Nitu (48 kg), Nikhat Zareen (50 kg), Jaismine (60 kg), Lovlina Borgohain (70 kg)