Spectre looms over boxing as election approaches
The reasons for India’s suspension by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) seemed to loom over the sport on the eve of Boxing India’s elections.
Right from ‘tainted’ candidates to regular interference by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Boxing India is being pushed into the abyss of the uncertainty.
In a surprising move, it is learnt, Kishan Narsi withdrew as the member of the IOA-appointed ad hoc committee, which had been conducting trials and camps for the boxers in the absence of an official body.
This is supposedly the last lifeline offered to Indian boxing and the elections need to be clean. The AIBA has made it clear that it will not only oversee the election process, but also minutely verify the post-electoral results.
Reliable sources, have revealed that the AIBA will be watching and scanning the nominated candidates and will be sending a team to oversee the process.
However, it is the infighting and the race for the coveted posts within the body that is turning tomorrow’s elections in Mumbai into a thriller.
Rohit Jain, representing Delhi Boxing Association, and a candidate for the secretary general’s post in the new body had been under scanner during the Commonwealth Games scam. Jain’s company had been raided during the course of investigation.
The other contender for the same post, Rakesh Thakran of Haryana, had been pulled up and expelled in 2007 for ‘manipulation’ by the then secretary of the now-defunct Indian Amateur Boxing Federation Brigadier Muralidharan Raja.
Right from ‘tainted’ candidates to regular interference by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Boxing India is being pushed into the abyss of the uncertainty.
In a surprising move, it is learnt, Kishan Narsi withdrew as the member of the IOA-appointed ad hoc committee, which had been conducting trials and camps for the boxers in the absence of an official body.
In a stringent letter sent to IOA president N Ramachandran, AIBA had clearly told the body to keep away from the electoral procedure. It also directed the ad hoc committee to not involve itself in electing the body. This came after, sources said, the ad hoc committee had booked tickets for a few state associations for a meeting in Delhi on September 6 and were also to be given tickets to travel to Mumbai for the elections.
This is supposedly the last lifeline offered to Indian boxing and the elections need to be clean. The AIBA has made it clear that it will not only oversee the election process, but also minutely verify the post-electoral results.
Reliable sources, have revealed that the AIBA will be watching and scanning the nominated candidates and will be sending a team to oversee the process.
However, it is the infighting and the race for the coveted posts within the body that is turning tomorrow’s elections in Mumbai into a thriller.
Rohit Jain, representing Delhi Boxing Association, and a candidate for the secretary general’s post in the new body had been under scanner during the Commonwealth Games scam. Jain’s company had been raided during the course of investigation.
The other contender for the same post, Rakesh Thakran of Haryana, had been pulled up and expelled in 2007 for ‘manipulation’ by the then secretary of the now-defunct Indian Amateur Boxing Federation Brigadier Muralidharan Raja.
