IOA appoints ad-hoc committee to run Indian boxing after BFI fails to conduct elections

IOA appoints ad-hoc committee to run Indian boxing after BFI fails to conduct elections

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday replaced the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) with an ad-hoc committee as the BFI’s “elections have not been held, resulting in administrative instability within the federation.”

In a quick response, BFI president Ajay Singh wrote to IOA president P.T. Usha, terming the National Olympic Committee’s action as “misconceived, arbitrary and…without following due process” and appealed to withdraw the order immediately.

“The Boxing Federation of India strongly condemns the creation of an ad-hoc panel to manage its affairs, calling it illegal and a blatant attempt to violate the autonomy of a National Sports Federation (NSF). This has also been communicated in a letter by President, BFI to President, Indian Olympic Association,” BFI said in a statement.

BFI also said that it will move the Delhi High Court seeking immediate quashing of the IOA order.

The IOA highlighted that the BFI had not been able to hold its elections, which were to be conducted on or before February 2 this year.

The IOA also cited “numerous complaints” from various stakeholders athletes, coaches and authorities concerned “regarding the non-participation of Indian boxers in various important National/ International events in recent months” as a reason for taking the drastic measure.

The IOA formed an ad-hoc body comprising Madhukant Pathak (chairman), BFI vice-president Rajesh Bhandari (vice-chairman), Dr D.P. Bhatt, boxer Shiva Thapа and Virendra Singh Thakur. It entrusted the panel with the responsibilities of running the BFI and overseeing its elections.

Ajay said the BFI was neither given any prior notice nor any opportunity to present its position.

“It remains unclear whether this decision was taken with the due approval of the IOA Executive Committee, further casting doubt on its legitimacy,” he said.

He added that no decision could be made on a National Sports Federation (NSF) without prior consultation with the relevant international federation.

While Ajay, who needs a two-thirds majority to be elected for a third term (as per the National Sports Code), mentioned that correspondence regarding the elections had already commenced with the Sports Ministry, a source close to him said the BFI planned to conduct the polls in March.

Critics of Ajay said that 24 state associations had written to the BFI president to conduct the polls, and the BFI had not held sub-junior and junior national championships for four years.

However, a federation source said the BFI conducted 51 national and international championships over seven years.

The BFI source claimed that the IOA order was triggered by some senior federation officials against whom an enquiry panel, headed by retired Delhi High Court judge Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, was to conduct a hearing on Tuesday on alleged financial irregularities during last year’s REC talent hunt events.