Santiago Nieva Returns as Head Coach of India’s Women Boxers
RNE Network.
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has appointed Santiago Nieva as the Head Coach of the Indian Women’s National Boxing Team, marking the return of one of world boxing’s most decorated high-performance experts. The Swedish coach, who earlier served as India’s High Performance Director from 2017 to 2021, re-enters the national setup at a time of exceptional momentum for women’s boxing, with the mandate to elevate the programme ahead of a crucial Olympic cycle.
The Indian women’s team has delivered a series of major results in recent months, including a complete medal sweep at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 in Greater Noida, securing seven gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. Several podium finishes came in key Olympic weight divisions. With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle intensifying and parity across seven women’s categories, Nieva will focus on building India into a consistent global medal contender across all divisions.
His appointment reinforces India’s long-term Olympic roadmap, strengthening the federation’s commitment to scientific training, high-performance systems, and elite coaching standards.
Expressing enthusiasm, Nieva said he was “super excited to come back to India” after five fulfilling years in his previous term. He added that the Indian women’s team holds “huge potential” and that the aim will be to “create something big” at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Nieva brings over two decades of top-tier international coaching experience. After his first stint with India, he served as National Head Coach and Technical Lead for Boxing Australia’s High Performance Unit. Prior to that, he guided Sweden’s national programme as Head Coach and Sports Director, overseeing athletes across major global tournaments, Olympic qualifiers, and multisport events.
BFI President Ajay Singh said Nieva’s return marks a significant step for the women’s programme, adding that his technical expertise and global exposure will strengthen India’s ambitions on the world stage. Singh also acknowledged former Elite Women’s Team head coach D Chandralal for his contribution, noting that he will remain an integral part of the coaching structure.
Nieva’s earlier tenure played a pivotal role in shaping India’s high-performance system. Under his leadership, India clinched two medals at the 2019 Men’s World Championships—Amit Panghal’s silver and Manish Kaushik’s bronze—and fielded its largest-ever Olympic boxing team at Tokyo 2020, where Lovlina Borgohain secured a landmark bronze.
