Raja faction ready to form boxing body

Vijender, Mary Kom offer support

The group headed by the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation's former secretary general Brig (retd) P K Muralidharan Raja on Thursday submitted their proposal to the world body for the formation of a new body in the country.

The faction has been boosted by the presence of Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh in their athletes’ commission.

India’s top woman pugilist and Olympic medallist Mary Kom, too, is believed to have lent support to the group.

Raja insisted they had the support of 23 of the 35 units as they await the response from world boxing body AIBA.

“The AIBA had called for interested organisation or groups who can form a new body to send their proposal. We have the support of 23 units and we believe we have with us the right people who are passionate about boxing. We submitted our proposal today,” Raja told Deccan Herald.

“AIBA had said they would provide guidance on the future course of action. We now await AIBA’s response. We are open to communication. But it depends whether we get elected. It is a long way out.  We will do whatever AIBA directs us to do. We are in favour of doing everything democratically and transparently. We have been part of boxing for many years.”

Raja said they enjoyed the boxers’ support as well. “But we do not want to involve the players in politics. So we are including them in the athletes’ commission. We want to ensure that whenever decisions are taken, players are also part of it.”

The AIBA had suspended IABF on December 6, 2012 following suspension of the IOA by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and manipulation of its election. On March 3, 2014, AIBA provisionally excluded IABF after expressing its despair on the way the national federation had managed its affairs during the 16-month suspension period.

“The AIBA EC will make a final decision and rehabilitate a National Federation for boxing in India as soon as it deems that it has found the right group of people who will support the principles of AIBA in terms of ethics and fairness and who care primarily about the boxers and our beloved sport and not about their personal interests,” AIBA had stated in a letter dated March 3.

However, Indian boxers and coaches will remain protected and authorised to compete at any competition at all levels under the AIBA.