Quick Facts
Biography
Om Prakash Bhardwaj is a boxing coach from Chennai, India. In 1985, he was awarded the Dronacharya Award, India's highest award in the field of coaching of sports and athletics. He is India's first Dronacharya awardee coach for Boxing.
Career as a Coach
Bhardwaj remained as National coach from 1968 to 1989. During his stint Indian boxers has been on top slot of medals tally in the Asian Games(1970-1986), Mini Commonwealth Games (Brisbane, 1982), Kings Cup (Bangkok, 1982) and SAF Games ( Calcutta, 1987).
He was the founder of the Boxing Coaching Department at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, where he served as chief coach from 1975 to 1988. He has trained around 15,000 boxers in the country. Bhardwaj also taught some basic techniques of boxing to Rahul Gandhi.