Frenchman Cottalorda named as India women's boxing coach

India's women boxers have got their first foreign coach in the form of Frenchman Stephane Cottalorda, who has been appointed to whip the team into shape ahead of the 2018 Asian Games. Cottalorda, 41, who coached France's youth and junior national women's boxers, will be joining the Indian pugilists in the first week of June. Cottalorda is one of three foreign coaches roped in by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) in its bid to give its fighters the winning edge. Italy's Raffaele Bergamasco will oversee the youth women's side while recently-appointed men's coach Santiago Nieva has been signed up until December 2020. "We have selected all the three coaches after a comprehensive search and they have been recommended by the International Boxing Association (AIBA)," BFI secretary general Jay Kowli told AFP. "All three of them have plenty of experience and are AIBA 'three star' coaches." The Asian Championships in Vietnam will the first big test for India's women boxers in November.