In a sudden turn of events, India women’s boxing coach – Stephane Cottalorda – has resigned from his post within a month of joining.
Cottalorda was the first ever foreign coach India ever had and now according to reports the reason behind his stepping down were delay in salary payment against which he had complained many times and also he had observed certain lack of professionalism in the national federation.
The 41-year-old Frenchman started his duty as coach in August. Due to some grievances, he e-mailed his resignation to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), explaining that only empty promises were made to him and he can no longer carry forward the same.
"I think I have been patient enough, it's been a week since I returned to France. None of you would take the risk of crossing the earth with his family by not having any guarantee on his future. None of you would agree to work without wage guarantee and/or with delays," Cottalorda wrote in a strongly-worded resignation, a copy of which is with PTI
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"Despite my e-mails and requests, I note that I still have not received all my salary for the month of August. In addition, I have no accommodation or any guarantee concerning this one as well as the payment of the expenses," he claimed. He added that despite his repeated complains of concerns to the federation, no actions were taken.
"For all these reasons, which testify to a lack of professionalism and seriousness, I would not return to India anymore. Nevertheless, I wish you good results at the Asian championships."
The federation, on the other hand, is now trying to bring back Cottalorda by taking care of his demands.
"70 per cent of his salary has already been paid, his house agreement has been worked out. We have met most of his demands and we will try to talk him into taking back his decision," a top BFI official told PTI.
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"The problem lay in the delay in getting a PAN card for him, which in turn delayed the payments. We tried explaining to him that it was a procedural issue, but he was not accustomed to such delays," the official added.
Shocked by the news, Mary Kom, a five-time world champion and an Olympic bronze-medallist, told PTI, “It is very disappointing and I am quite shocked. Speaking as an athlete, I can only say that he had been an excellent addition to the camp.”
“It was our responsibility to take care of his requirements. I hope he comes back, in fact, I will personally try to convince him on coming back,” added the boxer, who is also a government observer for the sport.
An experienced coach for women boxers in France, Cottalorda has earned a three-star rating from the International Boxing Association. His expertise has also garnered him a level of a certified coach in the AIBA Pro-Boxing and the World Series of Boxing.
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