Olympic medallist Mary Kom has expressed her shock following the resignation of India's first foreign coach for female boxers within a month of taking up the role ©Getty Images

Olympic medallist Mary Kom has expressed her shock following the resignation of India's first foreign coach for female boxers within a month of taking up the role.

Frenchman Stephane Cottalorda quit last week after complaining of a delay in salary payment and a lack of professionalism in the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).

He e-mailed his resignation to the BFI, stating that he could no longer wait for the fulfilment of promises made to him.

Kom, the London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist at flyweight, said the development is "very disappointing".

"I am quite shocked," she told Press Trust of India.

"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."

Stephane Cottalorda, left, took over as India’s first foreign coach for female boxers last month ©Stephane Cottalorda/Facebook
Stephane Cottalorda, left, took over as India’s first foreign coach for female boxers last month ©Stephane Cottalorda/Facebook

Cottalorda alleged that he frequently expressed his concerns to the BFI, which did not act on them.

"Despite my e-mails and requests, I note that I still have not received all my salary for the month of August," he wrote in his resignation letter, which has been seen by Press Trust of India.

"In addition, I have no accommodation or any guarantee concerning this one as well as the payment of the expenses.

"For all these reasons, which testify to a lack of professionalism and seriousness, I would not return to India anymore."

He did, however, wish the BFI "good results" at the 2017 ASBC Asian Women's Boxing Championships, which are scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam from November 2 to 12.

A leading BFI official told Press Trust of India that 70 per cent of Cottalorda’s salary has already been paid and that 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," the official added.

"The problem lay in the delay in getting a PAN (Permanent Account Number) 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."

Cottalorda, a member of the European Boxing Confederation's Coaches Commission and an experienced coach of female boxers in France, was initially expected to serve in the role until at least December 2018.

He is rated as a three-star coach by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) and has also been a certified coach in AIBA Pro Boxing and the World Series of Boxing.