World Boxing intervenes, BFI chief Ajay Singh gets to keep control

NEW DELHI: Intriguing developments keep unfolding in Indian boxing ’s administrative sphere. The Ajay Singh-led Boxing Federation of India (BFI), which put the elections for the new executive committee on hold, has been helped by the global governing body – World Boxing (WB) – to maintain its control over the sports body’s affairs and keep the electoral proceedings in abeyance for extended duration.

While BFI and the rival faction vying for control of the federation engage in legal battles across various courts in India, World Boxing announced the establishment of an interim committee “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”.

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What has surprised many is the composition of the committee. Rather than forming an independent panel to ensure that none from the two opposing factions could act unilaterally or in a prejudiced manner, World Boxing – led by its president Boris van der Vorst – opted to designate Singh as the chairman of the six-member committee, predominantly surrounded by his associates.

Other members include BFI vice president Narender Kumar Nirwan, executive director Arun Malik, Olympian L Sarita Devi, a nominee of the India Olympic Committee (IOA) and Singapore boxing association’s president Fairuz Mohamed.

In the process, the sport’s world body also granted a 90-day window to the current dispensation of the BFI to operate the federation, without providing any timeline to hold the elections. The committee has been instructed to submit its first report to the world body within 30 days of the issuance of this notification (April 7), outlining the steps taken, processes adopted and the roadmap ahead.

Several stakeholders have raised concerns over this development, owing to the ongoing legal, financial and administrative dispute between Singh and his loyalists and the rival faction, which is promoting former union sports minister Anurag Thakur as its presidential candidate.

“Overseeing financial matters, including the operation and management of BFI’s bank accounts, to ensure transparency and discipline; representing BFI in all ongoing and future legal proceedings, with the authority to act in the best interests of the federation and initiating the revision and alignment of the BFI constitution in line with World Boxing’s statutes and Indian legal requirements,” are some of the responsibilities of the interim committee.

The BFI elections , originally planned for Feb 2, were rescheduled for March 28 but have since been postponed.