Goan boxers, parents and coaches slam GABA over outstation bias and age fraud allegations

PANAJI

Young boxers, their parents, and coaches from the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) have raised serious allegations against the Goa Amateur Boxing Association (GABA), accusing it of sidelining local talent in favour of importing young boxers from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

“In boxing, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in Mapusa is filled with boxers from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, who are now representing Goa in sub-junior and junior categories,” said a parent, whose child has been directly affected by the influx of outstation athletes.

The controversy centres around claims that most of these imported boxers are overaged, giving them an unfair advantage over local Goan athletes. “The Goa Boxing Secretary is supporting these overaged boxers, effectively killing the prospects of our local girls,” the parent added.

According to multiple parents and coaches, SAG coaches had objected to these outstation boxers participating in state-level championships conducted by GABA. Despite formally filing protests — including paying protest fees — their objections were overruled without any official explanation or disclosure of player details, they alleged.

The matter has since reached the desk of SAG Executive Director Geeta Nagvekar, who has reportedly given the concerned SAG coaches a patient hearing and has sought clarification from GABA.

Parents and insiders note that Goa has a rich legacy of talented boxers, citing names like Valanky Dunashkar, Vidhya Bandokar, Vimal Naik, and Soniya Parab. “If Goan girls have excelled in the past, why are they being neglected now? Is this a case of prioritising medals over local talent development?” questioned another parent.

One of the more serious allegations involves age fraud. Parents claim that one girl representing Goa in the sub-junior national championship is enrolled in Grade XI in a higher secondary school in Uttar Pradesh. “How can an under-14 boxer be in Grade XI? She should be in Grade VIII,” a parent asked, highlighting the inconsistency.

Frustrated with the situation, SAG coaches have refused to send their trainees to national championships under the GABA banner. They have communicated their reasons to the SAG Executive Director and have also written to the Boxing Federation of India, calling for an investigation into age-related malpractices and biased selections at the SAI Hostel in Mapusa.

All four boxers who recently represented Goa in the Sub-Junior Girls National Championship in Noida — Lavanya Patil, Navya Naik, Diksha Gaikwad, and Mahalaxmi Singh — are from the SAI Hostel, Mapusa, with none reportedly hailing from Goa. The team was coached by Vaishnavi Prabhu.

SAG coaches have further alleged that 15 girl boxers currently training at the Mapusa SAI hostel — mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra — are overaged, with falsified records and medical certificates allegedly sourced from outside Goa.

They argue that local boxers are forced to compete against these older, stronger athletes, putting them at a significant disadvantage and discouraging participation.