How Roshan Nathanial Built Team Roshan Sports Promotion Into an International Boxing Platform

When Team Roshan Sports Promotion was established in 2019, its stated objective was to provide professional boxers with a platform to showcase their abilities and develop their careers. Since then, the organisation has become associated with professional boxing events, athlete management, international matchmaking and competitions involving fighters from different countries.

At the centre of that development has been Roshan Nathanial, whose experience as a boxer, coach, matchmaker and technical director has shaped the organisation’s approach to athlete development and international boxing.

Today, Team Roshan’s activities extend beyond simply promoting individual fights. Its involvement has included connecting athletes with professional opportunities, organising boxing events and creating links between Indian fighters and international boxing markets.

Starting With a Platform for Professional Boxers

Team Roshan Sports Promotion was founded in 2019 with a specific focus on professional boxing.

The Indian Boxing Council described Team Roshan as a promotion company started by former National Amateur Boxer Roshan Nathanial, with the aim of giving professional boxers a platform to showcase their skills and take their careers forward.

The organisation’s development also has a formal corporate foundation. Team Roshan Sports Promotion India Private Limited was incorporated in May 2019, with Roshan Nathanial listed as a director.

This combination of a sporting mission and an established organisational structure provided the foundation for Team Roshan to develop beyond an individual boxing initiative.

Building Around Athletes Rather Than Just Events

A key element of Team Roshan’s model has been its connection with individual boxers.

The Indian Boxing Council has identified athletes including Urvashi Singh, Sachin Dekwal, Sarjubala Devi and Laldingliana among the professional talent associated with Team Roshan.

This athlete-focused approach is important because professional boxing promotion is closely connected to career development. A boxer needs opportunities to compete, appropriate opponents, professional management and a pathway towards increasingly significant contests.

Team Roshan’s activities have therefore developed around both sides of the equation: creating boxing events while helping athletes access those opportunities.

Developing an International Matchmaking Function

As the organisation grew, matchmaking became an important part of its international activities.

Roshan Nathanial has served as a matchmaker for Team Roshan events, with boxing-event records identifying him in that role.

For example, Tapology records a June 2022 Middle East Crown event in Dubai as promoted by Team Roshan Sports Promotion, with Nathanial listed as the matchmaker. The six-bout card included a WBC Asian Light Flyweight title contest.

Another Dubai event in March 2022 was recorded as promoted by Team Roshan Sports Promotion, with Team Roshan also listed as co-promoter and Nathanial as matchmaker. The nine-bout card featured Urvashi Singh in an IBA World Super Bantamweight title contest.

These events illustrate how the organisation moved beyond the concept of a domestic promotion and became involved in international professional boxing cards.

Establishing a Presence in Dubai

Dubai became one of the most visible international markets for Team Roshan.

The organisation’s work in the United Arab Emirates connected Indian fighters with international opponents and professional boxing events. Nathanial’s separate role with DJMC Boxing as an international matchmaker and technical director also placed him within the operational side of professional boxing in Dubai.

The importance of this market can be seen through the range of fighters appearing on Team Roshan-related cards.

Indian boxers were able to compete on events involving athletes from different countries, creating an environment in which they could gain experience beyond India’s domestic boxing circuit.

For a developing professional boxer, that international exposure can be an important part of building a career.

Turning International Matchmaking Into Athlete Opportunities

Matchmaking is not simply about putting two boxers in a ring.

A professional boxing card requires opponents to be considered according to factors such as weight division, experience, records, competitive level and the stage of development of each fighter.

Team Roshan’s involvement in international matchmaking has therefore provided a mechanism for connecting athletes with contests that can contribute to their professional progression.

Sachin Dekwal provides one example.

DJMC identifies Nathanial as Dekwal’s manager/matchmaker and boxing coach and records Dekwal’s WBC Asia Continental championship contest in Dubai in March 2022. The same profile states that Dekwal trained under Nathanial’s guidance and mentorship.

This illustrates how Team Roshan’s activities can intersect with coaching, management and international competition rather than operating solely as event promotion.

Creating International Cards for Indian Fighters

The organisation’s international work has also provided opportunities for Indian fighters to appear on significant cards.

The March 2022 Middle East Crown event in Dubai is one example. Team Roshan Sports Promotion was listed as the promoter, while Nathanial was listed as matchmaker. The main event featured Urvashi Singh in an IBA World Super Bantamweight title contest.

For Indian professional boxing, such events provide a route into international competition without separating athlete development from promotion.

The result is a model in which the organisation can contribute to both sides of the professional ecosystem: developing fighters and creating platforms on which they can compete.

Expanding Beyond the United Arab Emirates

Team Roshan’s international activity has not been limited to Dubai.

The Indian Boxing Council reports that the organisation has conducted boxing shows in Dubai, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand and India.

That geographical expansion is significant because each international event creates connections among fighters, coaches, managers, promoters and sporting officials.

Rather than operating within one domestic boxing market, Team Roshan’s model has increasingly involved cross-border relationships.

This has helped create a network through which Indian athletes can be introduced to international opponents and international boxing professionals can become connected with Indian talent.

Bringing International Boxing Back to India

The international approach also works in the opposite direction.

Team Roshan has continued to promote professional boxing events in India, providing a domestic platform for professional fighters.

Tapology records a nine-bout Championship Fight Night promoted by Team Roshan Sports Promotion in Gurgaon in May 2023, with Roshan Nathanial listed as matchmaker.

More recently, Tapology records an eight-bout professional boxing show promoted by Team Roshan Sports Promotion at Arjun Stadium in Jind, India, in February 2025, again listing Nathanial as matchmaker.

These events show that the organisation’s international focus has not replaced its Indian foundation. Instead, the two sides operate together: Indian events provide a domestic platform, while international connections create opportunities for athletes to move into wider professional competition.

Connecting Different Boxing Markets

One of Team Roshan’s defining characteristics has been its role as a bridge between boxing markets.

India has a large pool of boxing talent, while markets such as the UAE and Australia offer established international sporting networks and opportunities for cross-border competition.

Team Roshan’s activities have brought these different environments into contact.

The organisation’s reported activity across India, Dubai, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Thailand demonstrates an approach based on international sporting relationships rather than a single-country promotion model.

For fighters, these connections can mean access to new opponents and competitions. For promoters, they can create new relationships with athletes and boxing organisations. For audiences, they can bring international fighters together on the same cards.

Supporting Athletes Through Different Stages

Team Roshan’s athlete relationships also show how a boxing organisation can become involved at different stages of a fighter’s career.

Urvashi Singh became one of the prominent boxers associated with the organisation, while Sachin Dekwal and Sarjubala Devi also developed professional connections with Nathanial and Team Roshan.

The Indian Boxing Council identified these athletes among Team Roshan’s managed professional talent.

Their participation in international contests demonstrates the broader purpose of the platform: providing fighters with opportunities to move from training and domestic competition toward professional and international boxing.

The WBC Cares Connection

Team Roshan’s development has also extended beyond competitive boxing.

In 2023, Roshan Nathanial was appointed a WBC Cares Ambassador for India. That role connected his boxing activities with the WBC’s community-focused work and demonstrated another dimension of how boxing can be used beyond competition.

The development was followed by international activity in Australia, including the December 2023 Charity Showdown in Melbourne, where Nathanial was among those involved in promoting the event.

This added a community and charitable dimension to an organisation whose foundations were built around professional boxing.

From a Promotion Company to an International Platform

The evolution of Team Roshan Sports Promotion can therefore be understood through several stages.

First came the establishment of the organisation in 2019 and its focus on providing professional boxers with opportunities.

The next stage involved developing athlete relationships and building professional boxing events.

International matchmaking then became increasingly important, particularly through events in Dubai.

From there, the organisation’s activities extended across additional international markets while continuing to promote events in India.

The result has been an organisation that operates across several parts of the professional boxing ecosystem.

Why International Connections Matter for Indian Boxing

For Indian professional boxers, international connections can be particularly valuable.

A fighter’s development does not end with domestic competition. To progress professionally, athletes may need opportunities to compete against different opponents, experience international events and build a record that reflects competition beyond their home market.

Organisations such as Team Roshan can contribute to that process by connecting athletes with promoters, matchmakers and competitions in other countries.

The model also benefits the wider boxing ecosystem. International events create opportunities for Indian fighters to be seen by new audiences while bringing international competitors into Indian boxing events.

In that sense, the value of Team Roshan’s international approach extends beyond individual fight results.

Building a Cross-Border Boxing Network

The story of Team Roshan Sports Promotion is ultimately a story about building connections.

From its 2019 foundation, the organisation has developed an association with professional boxing athletes, domestic events and international competitions.

Its recorded involvement in events in India and Dubai, together with the Indian Boxing Council’s account of activity in Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Thailand, shows the geographical reach that has developed around the organisation.

At the centre of that development has been Roshan Nathanial’s combination of boxing experience, coaching, matchmaking and technical responsibilities.

Rather than treating promotion as simply the organisation of individual fight nights, Team Roshan has increasingly used events as a way to connect athletes and boxing communities across borders.

Looking Ahead

Team Roshan Sports Promotion’s development reflects the increasingly international nature of professional boxing.

What began in India as a platform for professional boxers has developed into an organisation involved in athlete management, matchmaking and professional events across multiple markets.

Its continued presence in both Indian and international boxing creates a pathway for athletes to gain experience, compete against international opponents and develop professional careers.

For Roshan Nathanial, the development of Team Roshan has been closely connected to a broader role in boxing—one that combines athlete development with the practical work required to bring international professional boxing opportunities together.

The organisation’s evolution demonstrates how a boxing promotion can grow by building not only events, but also relationships between athletes, countries and boxing communities.