World Boxing appoints interim committee to oversee BFI affairs
World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst has written to BFI chairman Ajay Singh, conveying the appointment of a six-member committee;
CHENNAI: World Boxing has formed an interim committee to oversee the affairs of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) to ensure administrative continuity and management of domestic and international competitions.
World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst has written to BFI chairman Ajay Singh, conveying the appointment of a six-member committee.
The committee will be headed by Singh for "a period not extending 90 days."
The six-member committee includes BFI Vice President Narender Kumar Nirwan, Executive Director Arun Malik and Olympian L Sarita Devi.
One of the remaining two members of the committee would be a nominee of the India Olympic Committee (IOA), “to be nominated in consultation with the President IOA - Member,” the letter dated April 7 said.
IOA President PT Usha is yet to nominate a member.
Singapore Boxing Association's president Fairuz Mohamed is also a part of the committee. He will also serve as a representative from World Boxing as an observer, "to validate the work of this committee”.
Factionalism and infighting has become prevalent in the federation in the recent months leading up to the elections which have faced multiple delays and controversies.
The BFI elections, originally scheduled for February 2, have been marred by legal disputes and procedural delays.
Additionally, Singh suspended BFI secretary Hemanta Kalita and treasurer Digvijay Singh after an inquiry led by former Delhi High Court judge Sudhir Kumar Jain found the duo guilty of "financial irregularities."
Both Kalita and Digvijay have challenged the decision in court.
The infighting among the federation had led several state units to boycott the women's nationals last month, where Singh announced several national championships.
The committee will select Indian teams for international events on the basis of selection policy in a timely manner and coordinate with SAI, IOA and other national stakeholders for protecting the interest of Indian boxing and its athletes.