IBF looking for a foreign coach for women

Jamshedpur, Feb 21 (PTI) The Indian Boxing Federation(IBF) has started looking for a foreign coach in an attempt toensure that the country''s women boxers make it to the podiumduring the 2012 London Olympics.

"We have been searching for a foreign coach for women butnot being able to get a suitable one yet," the SecretaryGeneral of IBF, P K Murlidharan Raja, said.

"It is not that we didn''t get anyone but the things couldnot be finalised because to language barriers," he added.

Raja explained that even though a number of coaches,including from Russia, approached but they needed a full-timeinterpreter, which was not possible to provide.

"We are negotiating with some coaches but nothing isfinal," said Raja, expressing hope of roping in a foreigncoach soon.

He also said that IBF, which had its annual generalmeeting here yesterday, has taken some decision to promote theboxing as well as the boxers.

"IBF has approved a proposal to hold Indian Boxing leagueon the lines of Indian Premier League (IPL) from second halfof this year, probably in September," said Raja.

Initially, the IBL will be conducted in four cities formen only and a Mumbai-based company -- Percept D-Mark -- hasown the franchise for the purpose.

"We have plans to organise the IBL in four franchiseowned cities across the country and efforts are on to make ita success," he said.

Raja said that depending on the IBL''s success, it willintroduced for women as well.

"IBL will be a domestic affair and aimed to promote ourboxers but we will allow a couple of foreign boxers, just likeforeign cricketers play in the IPL," said Raja.

He, however, said the Federation was yet to decide on theabout number of foreign pugilists to be allowed in the league.

"I do not think it should be more than two and they willbe allowed in between weight category," he said.

"We also had plan to introduce ''fight nights'', atournament between two nations," he added, stating that whilePakistan has agreed to send their boxers, Australia was yet torespond to our proposal.

"The basic motive behind it was to promote boxing withsome entertainments," he said.