India’s experienced boxing official Mr. Lenny D’Gama – It was a well-organized championship in Dubai during the pandemic

India’s boxing official Mr. Lenny D’Gama worked as International Technical Official at the ASBC Asian Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates which was the first big continental event of the year.

Mr. Lenny D’Gama is one of the most experienced Asian Referee & Judging Evaluators who worked also in the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Kielce, Poland this April. The Indian boxing official shared with us his experiences in Dubai, the level of the championships and the situation in India’s boxing life.

“I have been working for the last 11 years as Evaluator and Observer in the international championships. My primary job is to evaluate all of the Referees & Judges who are officiating in the championships. We have two evaluators in each boxing ring during the championships, one of them follow the work of the referee and the other evaluate all of the five judges.

The ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships was initially awarded to India and all plans were made to host the event in Delhi. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 situation reaching its peak in Delhi in the previous weeks there were not any other way but to request the UAE Boxing Federation to host the event not letting the Asian boxers down.

We have got a pandemic situation therefore the event was held without any spectators with strict rules in closed environment. We used one ring and less teams competed in the championships this time.

It was very well-organized, and UAE Boxing Federation has done a great job within very short time and arranged an outstanding opening ceremony and competition. Furthermore, the AIBA President offered 400,000 USD prize money for the medallists which never happened before. I believe that all of the medallists were seriously happy.

My favourite boxer is Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte, six-time AIBA Women’s World Champion who prepared to win her next Asian title in Dubai however she was beaten in the final of the flyweight.

We had 3 AIBA Courses during the championships but all went like a good running clock in Dubai. We also had to follow the new protest regulations but all went well and we have done them in time.

We had our Presidential elections in India this January and Mr. Ajay Singh won that once again and he brought a new and dynamic team. We had many issues in the recent weeks and the worse that our Executive Director Mr. Raj Kumar Sacheti passed away.

Nine of our boxers qualified for the Olympic Games and our President is doing all for them. Mr. Ajay Singh has been doing things with a very positive mind, even chartering flight to Dubai so our boxers could participate in the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships. We hope that we can earn more than two medals in the Olympic Games,” said Mr. Lenny D’Gama after the championship.

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