Roshan Nathanial 
Roshan Nathanial with Indian boxing talent during professional boxing activities.
Behind every boxer who steps into the ring is a wider network of coaches, mentors, managers, matchmakers and promoters. While fighters carry the responsibility of performing on fight night, their progress can also depend on the people who help identify opportunities, prepare them for competition and connect them with the wider boxing circuit.
For Indian boxing coach, international matchmaker and promoter Roshan Nathanial, working with and supporting boxing talent has remained an important part of a career that has expanded from India into international professional boxing.
Over the years, Nathanial has been associated in different capacities with a wide range of Indian boxing talent, including Urvashi Singh, Sachin Dekwal, Sarjubala Devi, NT Lalbiakkima (NT Kima), Laldingliana, Kuldeep Dhanda, Amandeep Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Sagar Narwat, Pardeep Kharera, Nikhil Sharma, Diwakar Prasad, Siddharth Varma and Kuldeep Dharmendra Grewal, among others.
The nature of those associations has varied from athlete to athlete. In some cases, Nathanial’s role is documented as a coach or mentor; in others, it has involved management, matchmaking, promotion or providing access to professional competition. That distinction is important in understanding his broader contribution to athlete development.
Building Opportunities Around Indian Boxing Talent
Nathanial’s work with fighters gradually developed beyond conventional coaching.
Through Team Roshan Sports Promotion, founded in 2019, he sought to create a structure through which professional boxers could showcase their abilities and pursue career opportunities. The Indian Boxing Council describes Team Roshan as an organisation established by former national amateur boxer Roshan Nathanial and identifies professional fighters including Urvashi Singh, Sachin Dekwal, Sarjubala Devi and Laldingliana among talent associated with the organisation.
Indian Boxing Council – Team Roshan profile
Nathanial’s wider boxing network has also brought him into contact with fighters including Amandeep Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Sagar Narwat, Pardeep Kharera, Nikhil Sharma, Diwakar Prasad, Siddharth Varma and Kuldeep Dharmendra Grewal.
Rather than presenting all these relationships as identical coaching arrangements, they form part of the broader network of athletes Nathanial has worked with, guided, supported or encountered through coaching, boxing programmes, matchmaking and professional competition.
Urvashi Singh: From Training to International Championship Competition
One of the clearest examples of Nathanial’s athlete-development work is Urvashi Singh.
The World Boxing Council reported that Singh trained at Roshan Boxing Academy, where Nathanial encouraged and nurtured her development. The WBC subsequently described Singh as a professional boxer from India who had become a Middle East Asia Female World Title Champion and held the WBC International World title.
World Boxing Council – Urvashi Singh: A Boxer of Note
Her career provides an example of how a relationship beginning with training and development can progress toward the international stage.
Nathanial’s involvement was not confined to the gym. As his work expanded into matchmaking and promotion, the international network surrounding fighters such as Singh also grew.
That progression eventually took Singh to Australia. At the WBC Charity Showdown in Melbourne in December 2023, she defeated Thailand’s Thanchanok Phanan, retained her WBC International title and added the Asian Pacific belt, according to the World Boxing Council.
World Boxing Council – Charity Showdown in Australia
Sachin Dekwal: Coaching, Mentorship and International Competition
Sachin Dekwal represents another well-documented athlete relationship.
DJMC Boxing identifies Nathanial as Dekwal’s boxing coach and manager/matchmaker, and states that the Indian boxer trained under his guidance and mentorship.
DJMC Boxing – Sachin Dekwal profile
Dekwal subsequently competed internationally, including professional championship contests in Dubai. In March 2022, the WBC Asian Boxing Council reported that Dekwal captured the WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental lightweight title in Dubai and specifically acknowledged the support of Dunstan Rozairo and Roshan Nathanial.
WBC Asian Boxing Council – Sachin Dekwal title victory
His development illustrates an important aspect of Nathanial’s approach. Preparing an athlete technically is one part of professional boxing, but progressing internationally also requires matchmaking, management and access to the right competitions.
Nathanial’s involvement with Dekwal crossed several of these areas, connecting coaching and mentorship with the practical requirements of building an international professional boxing career.
Sarjubala Devi and the Transition to Professional Boxing
Former amateur standout Sarjubala Devi provides a different example.
After an established amateur boxing career, Devi moved into the professional ranks. In November 2022, The Times of India reported that she had signed a fight-management contract with international matchmaker Roshan Nathanial ahead of an international professional boxing event in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Times of India – Colombo boxing event
The same international card included Urvashi Singh and Sachin Dekwal and featured eight international fights. Nathanial was identified as one of the promoters and as Technical Director of DJMC Events.
For an experienced amateur boxer transitioning into the professional sport, management and matchmaking become particularly important. The professional circuit operates differently from amateur competition, making decisions around opponents, events and career progression an increasingly significant part of an athlete’s development.
NT Lalbiakkima: Identifying Potential and Opening a Door
Nathanial’s work with NT Lalbiakkima, also known as NT Kima, highlights another side of athlete development: recognising potential and connecting it with opportunity.
The Indian Boxing Council reported in 2022 that Nathanial had identified potential in Lalbiakkima and decided to give him an opportunity on the international professional circuit in Dubai. The boxer was subsequently placed in a WBC Asia Continental title contest against Filipino boxer Jayson Vayson.
Indian Boxing Council – NT Lalbiakkima vs Jayson Vayson
The IBC report specifically described Nathanial as the promoter of the fight and quoted him explaining that he had seen potential in Lalbiakkima and wanted to give him an opportunity on the international circuit.
Lalbiakkima went on to challenge Jayson Vayson for the WBC Asia Continental light-flyweight title in Dubai. Contemporary reports from The Indian Express and Times of India also covered the contest.
The Indian Express – NT Lalbiakkima WBC Asian title fight
In this case, Nathanial’s contribution extended across the professional structure surrounding the athlete, including identifying talent, creating an opportunity and involvement in promotion.
It demonstrates how creating an opportunity can sometimes be as important as identifying talent in the first place.
Laldingliana and Opportunities for Emerging Fighters
Laldingliana is another fighter associated with Team Roshan’s professional boxing activities.
The Indian Boxing Council lists him among Team Roshan’s professional talent, alongside fighters such as Urvashi Singh, Sachin Dekwal and Sarjubala Devi.
His involvement illustrates the importance of extending international opportunities beyond already established names.
For emerging professional fighters, appearing on international cards provides exposure to different opponents, environments and competitive standards. These experiences can become important steps in developing a professional career.
Kuldeep Dhanda: An Earlier International Connection
Nathanial’s work with Indian fighters on the international circuit predates some of Team Roshan’s later activities.
In 2019, BoxingScene reported on Kuldeep Dhanda competing against Filipino fighter Romero Duno in Manila and identified Roshan Nathanial as Dhanda’s trainer.
BoxingScene – Gaballo-Nakamura, Duno-Dhanda
The bout is significant in the broader story because it demonstrates Nathanial’s involvement with Indian fighters competing internationally before Team Roshan’s later expansion across Dubai, Sri Lanka and other markets.
A Wider Network of Indian Boxing Talent
Beyond these better-documented examples, Nathanial’s boxing journey has brought him into a wider circle of Indian fighters at different stages of their careers.
Names associated with that broader network include Amandeep Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Sagar Narwat, Pardeep Kharera, Nikhil Sharma, Diwakar Prasad, Siddharth Varma and Kuldeep Dharmendra Grewal.
Their inclusion reflects the breadth of Indian boxing talent Nathanial has interacted with through his years in the sport.
Importantly, those relationships should not all be described in the same way. Boxing professionals can become involved with an athlete through direct coaching, training camps, mentoring, management, matchmaking, promotion or assistance in securing competitive opportunities.
Nathanial’s career has encompassed several of those functions.
More Than One Definition of Mentorship
The distinction is particularly relevant in professional boxing.
A coach can improve technique, conditioning and preparation. A mentor can provide experience and career guidance. A manager can help determine the direction of a professional career, while a matchmaker connects a fighter with suitable contests.
A promoter, meanwhile, creates the event platform on which those opportunities become possible.
Nathanial has worked across several of these roles during his career. The Indian Boxing Council identifies him as an International Matchmaker and Technical Director for DJMC Events/Boxing UAE, while Team Roshan’s profile documents his broader involvement with professional boxing and managed fighters.
That combination helps explain why his association with Indian boxers has taken different forms rather than following a single coach-athlete model.
Taking Indian Fighters Beyond Domestic Competition
International exposure has been one of the recurring themes of Nathanial’s work.
Through Team Roshan Sports Promotion and his international matchmaking activities, Indian fighters have appeared on professional cards outside India, particularly in markets such as Dubai and Sri Lanka.
The November 2022 Colombo event demonstrated this clearly. The Times of India reported that the international professional boxing show included Urvashi Singh, Sarjubala Devi and Sachin Dekwal, with Nathanial serving as Technical Director. The event featured eight international fights.
For Indian fighters, competing abroad can provide experience against different styles and opponents while introducing them to professional boxing environments beyond their domestic circuit.
Creating Championship Opportunities
Some of the athletes connected with Nathanial’s work have progressed into international championship competition.
Urvashi Singh’s professional journey included WBC International championship success, while Sachin Dekwal competed for international regional titles. NT Lalbiakkima was given an opportunity to challenge for a WBC Asia Continental title.
The significance is not simply the championship belt itself.
Before a boxer reaches such an opportunity, numerous pieces need to come together — training, management, matchmaking, event organisation, opponent selection and the willingness of promoters to place the athlete on the card.
Nathanial’s work across these different functions has allowed him to participate in that process from more than one position.
Supporting the Development of Women’s Professional Boxing
Nathanial’s association with Urvashi Singh and Sarjubala Devi also highlights his involvement with Indian women’s professional boxing.
Both fighters moved into international professional competition, with Singh progressing into championship fights and Devi making the transition from a successful amateur career into the professional sport.
The Colombo event in 2022 placed Indian women boxers prominently on an international professional card, while Singh’s subsequent appearances took her career into additional international markets. The Times of India documented the participation of both Singh and Devi on the Colombo card and Nathanial’s management and promotional involvement.
Such opportunities contribute to greater visibility for Indian women in professional boxing and provide younger athletes with examples of pathways beyond amateur competition.
Connecting Indian Boxing With Other Countries
The development of fighters is also connected to the development of boxing relationships between countries.
Nathanial’s international work has involved professional boxing activities extending from India into the UAE, Sri Lanka and Australia, while Team Roshan has also been associated with activity involving the Philippines and Thailand. The Indian Boxing Council’s Team Roshan profile records shows in those international markets and identifies Nathanial’s role with DJMC Events.
His work has therefore involved more than individual fighter preparation. It has also included building relationships between athletes, promoters, managers, officials and sporting organisations across borders.
For Indian athletes, such connections can create opportunities to compete abroad. For the host boxing market, international cards introduce fighters and audiences from different countries.
The benefit therefore extends beyond a single athlete: cross-border events help build relationships among boxing communities, promoters, officials and sporting organisations.
From the Gym to the International Circuit
Nathanial’s involvement with Indian boxing talent demonstrates how athlete development can continue far beyond the training gym.
For some fighters, his role has centred on coaching and mentorship. For others, it has involved management or matchmaking. In other cases, his contribution has come through promotion and the creation of international competitive opportunities.
The individual relationships are different, but they form part of a wider pattern.
From established names such as Urvashi Singh, Sachin Dekwal and Sarjubala Devi, to fighters including NT Lalbiakkima, Laldingliana and Kuldeep Dhanda, and the broader network that includes Amandeep Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Sagar Narwat, Pardeep Kharera, Nikhil Sharma, Diwakar Prasad, Siddharth Varma and Kuldeep Dharmendra Grewal, Nathanial’s boxing career has continually intersected with the development and progression of Indian fighters.
Developing Talent, Creating Opportunity
Professional boxing is ultimately built around opportunity.
Talent is essential, but fighters also need experienced people around them who can help turn preparation into competition and competition into career progression.
Roshan Nathanial’s work across coaching, mentoring, management, matchmaking and promotion has allowed him to contribute at different points in that journey.
For the Indian fighters whose careers have intersected with his, that contribution has taken different forms — from guidance inside the gym to opportunities to compete on international professional cards.
And as Indian boxing continues to expand beyond its domestic boundaries, building those connections between talent, mentorship and international opportunity remains an important part of taking the country’s fighters to a wider professional stage.
