Boxer Who Won A Medal In 2019 Is Yet To Get Prize Money

"Nikhat Zareen, Manisha and I had won bronze medals at the 2019 Asian Championships but till now we have not received the prize money. Some of the players who were associated with that tournament have received the prize money. When we asked one official about it on the phone, he said that 'the bugdet is over'. Now you tell me, where do we go for our own prize money?," says Sonia Chahal, who is officiating at the Commonwealth Games trials at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi. A silver medallist at the 2018 World Championships held in New Delhi, she is currently out of the ring due to health issues. Sonia's coach Jagdish Singh also has the same complaint and is even thing of approaching the courts to get his due.

Women's boxing trials for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham are being held at the IG Stadium from June 9 to 11 and all eyes are on these trials because of the big names involved. Indian women's boxing legend MC Mary Kom, Tokyo Olympics medallist Lovlina Borgohain and world champion Nikhat Zareen are all part of these trials.

Coach Jagdish has a lot of expectations from the current crop of boxers but he is concerned that the official red tape in Indian boxing is till not over.

"The officials do not understand that the prize money are really needed by the players and coaches. These girls come from poor household and from this prize money, the expenses are met for their proper food and nutrition. If you do not give the prize money on time, then what is the point? Some players did not get the prize money and I have not gotten my Rs 4.5 lakh. They keep on giving different excuses and it creates problems," said Jagdish, who is known for being the man at the helm of affairs at one of India's biggest