Boxing Federation of India appoints Mats Rickard Nilsson as Head of Sports Science until LA 2028

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has appointed Swedish sports science expert Mats Rickard Nilsson as its Head of Sports Science, in a move aimed at strengthening the scientific support available to Indian boxers as they prepare for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Nilsson, who has previously worked with the Swedish Olympic contingent and has experience collaborating with Indian boxers, will work closely with athletes and coaching staff to improve scientific training methods, performance monitoring and individual athlete development. His appointment is part of BFI's effort to establish a more structured, evidence-based approach to preparing boxers for international competition.

The engagement will continue until the LA 2028 Olympics, providing the Indian boxing programme with specialist support over the crucial period leading up to the next Olympic cycle.

BFI President Ajay Singh described the appointment as an important step in developing the federation's sports science ecosystem.

“This appointment marks an important step in the Boxing Federation of India's efforts to strengthen its sports science ecosystem and integrate a structured, evidence-based approach into athlete preparation,” Singh said.

He explained that the initiative would combine on-ground engagement with continuous remote support to ensure regular performance assessment, scientific training interventions and individualised development plans for boxers.

“Through a combination of on-ground engagement and continuous remote support, the initiative aims to ensure consistent performance assessment, scientific training interventions and individualised athlete development,” he added.

More than three decades of international experience

Nilsson brings over 30 years of experience as a strength and conditioning expert, having worked with elite athletes across the world. A former Swedish Olympic weightlifter, he has also been associated with the Swedish Olympics contingent, giving him experience of the demands of preparing athletes for high-performance international competition.

His appointment also builds on an earlier association with Indian boxing. Nilsson worked with Indian boxers in 2019, meaning he returns to a programme with which he has some previous experience.

That familiarity could be valuable as he begins working with the current group of athletes and coaching staff. Understanding the requirements of elite boxing preparation, alongside the specific demands of the Indian programme, will be important in developing a consistent approach across training and performance support.

Under the current terms of engagement, Nilsson will spend 75 days annually in India, working with the boxing team in multiple phases. For the remainder of the year, he will provide remote support to the BFI Sports Science team.

The arrangement is designed to combine direct interaction with athletes and coaches with continuity in monitoring and assessment throughout the year. Rather than limiting his involvement to periodic training camps, the model will allow the federation to maintain an ongoing sports science framework between his visits.

Focus on performance monitoring and individualised preparation

Nilsson's responsibilities will cover several important areas of athlete preparation. These include monitoring the progress of boxers, reviewing performance data, developing and sharing scientific training plans, and providing regular recommendations to coaches and the sports science team.

The objective is to ensure that training programmes are informed by measurable performance indicators and adjusted to individual requirements. In a sport such as boxing, where physical conditioning, speed, strength, endurance and recovery all influence competitive performance, a structured approach to preparation can help athletes manage the demands of training and competition.

Training load management and recovery will be central to Nilsson's work. The ability to balance physical demands with adequate recovery is important in reducing the risk of overtraining and helping athletes maintain consistency through demanding preparation cycles.

His role will also involve close coordination with the coaching staff. The intention is to bring scientific inputs into the everyday training environment, ensuring that physical preparation and technical coaching work towards shared performance objectives.

Nilsson said he was pleased to join the Indian boxing programme and believed the team had a strong foundation on which to build.

“I am delighted to join the Indian boxing programme and contribute to a team with tremendous potential. Having observed the boxers, coaches and support staff, I believe there is a strong foundation to build on,” he said.

He added that his priority would be to work closely with coaches on a common approach to physical preparation, training load management and recovery.

“The aim is to help our boxers stay healthy, perform consistently and take the next step on the international stage,” Nilsson said.

The appointment gives BFI a defined period to integrate sports science more closely into its elite boxing programme ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics. With Nilsson's involvement extending until 2028, the federation will have access to specialist expertise across multiple phases of preparation.

The combination of on-ground work and remote monitoring is expected to support continuity in athlete assessment, while the development of individualised plans will allow training interventions to reflect the needs and progress of each boxer.

The effectiveness of the initiative will ultimately depend on how consistently scientific recommendations are translated into training routines and coordinated with the coaching team's technical plans.

For Indian boxing, the appointment represents an investment in the support structure around athletes, not just in their immediate physical preparation. As the programme looks towards LA 2028, BFI will be seeking to build a system that helps boxers remain healthy, improve performance and compete more consistently at the highest international level.