The inevitable blow?
AIBA says Indian pugilists’ participation in the Asiad ‘not guaranteed’ as Boxing India ignores deadline to elect its board.
India’s gloves could be off and the Asian Games could miss one of the boxing giants of the continent if the International Boxing Federation (AIBA) goes ahead with its intended course of action of keeping the country out of the ring after giving Boxing India (the provisional body recognised by the AIBA) one ‘last chance’ to get its house in order.
Answering a Mirror email about India’s participation at the forthcoming Asian Games in Incheon in September, AIBA’s public relations and communication’s manager Albina Krasnodemska said “the participation of Indian boxers is not guaranteed.”
A former boxing official told Mirror that “you need to at least give a 15-day notice to conduct an election and I think we have missed it.”
With Boxing India once again failing to grab the opportunity, India faces complete suspension from the world body. And though the adhoc boxing committee, formed by the Indian Olympic Association to look into the Games’ preparation, sent out a circular asking boxers to attend the trials in Delhi, Indian pugilists face an uncertain future at least where participation in the Asiad, which commences on September 19, is concerned. For the past few weeks, Indian boxing’s administrative fraternity was abuzz with talk of the impending elections and officials were even hoping to seek an extension if they could not conduct the elections by August 15.
AIBA’s Krasnodemska, however, has ruled out the possibility of acquiring an extension. In a firm reply, she said India “will not be given any extension”. Boxing India had adopted AIBA’s new constitution in early July, but plans to host elections hit a roadblock after six nominations for the post of vice-presidents were rejected by returning officer - former Bombay High Court judge DK Deshmukh.
Currently, two vice-president posts still remain vacant. “I don’t even know why my nomination was rejected,” said West Bengal boxing chief Asit Banerjee, who is one of the six candidates. For Banerjee, there is no solution in sight. “We are back to where we were. Only a fresh process for election can resolve the issue, but I guess we are too late even for that,” Banerjee said.
In these two years of chaos, AIBA has allowed Indian boxers to take part in various international tournaments under its banner. But patience was bound to wear thin and could be finally running out. “I think they have had enough. They have given Indian boxing enough chances to straighten its ways. In fact, if AIBA had been strict, Indian boxers could have done better in tournaments like the Commonwealth Games where we failed to win any gold medals. I feel it is AIBA that has encouraged chaos in a way,” a state association member said.
Being denied the right kind of exposure - nationally and internationally - in the last two years has hit Indian boxing very hard. India’s head coach GS Sandhu, however, was happy with India’s performance in Glasgow. “Yes, we did not get a gold but given the fact that we had no exposure and no official representation at the Games due to our federation’s termination, for me these silver medals are as good as gold,” Sandhu had said upon his return from Glasgow.
Could the CWG have been India’s last international outing or could we get more time in the ring?
India’s gloves could be off and the Asian Games could miss one of the boxing giants of the continent if the International Boxing Federation (AIBA) goes ahead with its intended course of action of keeping the country out of the ring after giving Boxing India (the provisional body recognised by the AIBA) one ‘last chance’ to get its house in order.
Answering a Mirror email about India’s participation at the forthcoming Asian Games in Incheon in September, AIBA’s public relations and communication’s manager Albina Krasnodemska said “the participation of Indian boxers is not guaranteed.”
Boxing India’s infighting has been killing the game, but the apathy shown by those in charge of governing the sport seems to have hit the roof. Boxing India, Mirror can reveal, has now brashly ignored an AIBA deadline to elect its board. In a letter sent to the provisional body that is handling Indian affairs, AIBA had urged that elections be conducted before August 15. However, with just a little over a week left until deadline day, it seems highly improbable that elections will be initiated.
A former boxing official told Mirror that “you need to at least give a 15-day notice to conduct an election and I think we have missed it.”
With Boxing India once again failing to grab the opportunity, India faces complete suspension from the world body. And though the adhoc boxing committee, formed by the Indian Olympic Association to look into the Games’ preparation, sent out a circular asking boxers to attend the trials in Delhi, Indian pugilists face an uncertain future at least where participation in the Asiad, which commences on September 19, is concerned. For the past few weeks, Indian boxing’s administrative fraternity was abuzz with talk of the impending elections and officials were even hoping to seek an extension if they could not conduct the elections by August 15.
AIBA’s Krasnodemska, however, has ruled out the possibility of acquiring an extension. In a firm reply, she said India “will not be given any extension”. Boxing India had adopted AIBA’s new constitution in early July, but plans to host elections hit a roadblock after six nominations for the post of vice-presidents were rejected by returning officer - former Bombay High Court judge DK Deshmukh.
Currently, two vice-president posts still remain vacant. “I don’t even know why my nomination was rejected,” said West Bengal boxing chief Asit Banerjee, who is one of the six candidates. For Banerjee, there is no solution in sight. “We are back to where we were. Only a fresh process for election can resolve the issue, but I guess we are too late even for that,” Banerjee said.
In these two years of chaos, AIBA has allowed Indian boxers to take part in various international tournaments under its banner. But patience was bound to wear thin and could be finally running out. “I think they have had enough. They have given Indian boxing enough chances to straighten its ways. In fact, if AIBA had been strict, Indian boxers could have done better in tournaments like the Commonwealth Games where we failed to win any gold medals. I feel it is AIBA that has encouraged chaos in a way,” a state association member said.
Being denied the right kind of exposure - nationally and internationally - in the last two years has hit Indian boxing very hard. India’s head coach GS Sandhu, however, was happy with India’s performance in Glasgow. “Yes, we did not get a gold but given the fact that we had no exposure and no official representation at the Games due to our federation’s termination, for me these silver medals are as good as gold,” Sandhu had said upon his return from Glasgow.
Could the CWG have been India’s last international outing or could we get more time in the ring?
