Boxers and coaches asked to vacate rooms at national championships, left out in cold
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Several boxers, coaches, and support staff participating in the Elite National Boxing Championships in Greater Noida were asked to vacate their accommodation on the second-to-last day of the tournament, leaving many stranded in freezing conditions.
Teams said their belongings were placed outside rooms after hotels and lodges informed them that bookings were valid only until Friday, January 9.
The Indian Express reported that by the time alternative arrangements were made, several contingents had spent hours outside on an evening when temperatures hovered between 6 and 7 degrees Celsius. Some teams reportedly did not get accommodation until the newspaper went to press.
Teams from Telangana, Kerala, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh were among those affected.
A coach, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Indian Express that the incident occurred around 7:30 pm when teams returned from the venue. He said players and coaches were told to vacate immediately and were left standing outside without any alternative arrangements.
Another coach said a boxer from his team was scheduled to compete in the final the next day and described the situation as distressing. He added that a similar incident had occurred the previous night.
The Boxing Federation of India said immediate steps were taken to accommodate affected athletes at a nearby facility at GB University, where sleeping arrangements were made for the night. The federation said it was closely monitoring the situation.
According to the tournament prospectus, free lodging and boarding were to be provided to boxers and officials for the duration of the event. Team officials expressed anger, saying accommodation had not been booked for the full tournament period and that the situation caused distress to the athletes.