World Boxing appoints committee to run BFI

The tussle to take over the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) took another turn after World Boxing appointed an interim committee to oversee the sport in India. WA president Boris van der Vorst appointed a seven-member committee led by BFI president Ajay Singh to run the day to day affairs of the sport in India. “This Interim Committee is being formed to provide administrative continuity and safeguard the rights and interests of Indian boxers until elections are held and a new democratic executive committee is elected,” van Vorst wrote in his letter.

The committee includes BFI vice-president Narender Kumar Nirwan, executive director Arun Malik and Olympian L Sarita Devi, a member from the Indian Olympic Association. Singapore Boxing Association president Fairuz Mohamed has also been nominated to the committee as an observer from World Boxing.

The elections were scheduled to be held on March 28 but even before the Annual General Meeting (AGM) could be convened it was stalled due to court cases. Trouble started with the Himachal state body nominating former sports minister Anurag Thakur to represent it at the AGM. However, the Returning Officer, Justice RK Gauba, ruled that Thakur could not take part in the election proceedings as he was not an elected member of the executive. Thakur challenged the order in the Himachal Pradesh High Court, while the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association, which was also axed from the electoral rolls, did the same in the Delhi High Court. Ajay Singh then suspended BFI secretary Hemanta Kalita and treasurer Digvijay Singh over charges of financial mismanagement.

The committee, which is to operate for a maximum term of 90 days, is assigned to ensure administrative continuity, organise domestic competitions and select Indian teams for international tournaments.

Sports