Chaos reigns as agitated parents hit out at organisers

Bizarre scenes were enacted on the final day of the State Boxing Championship as parents of Ashriya Moses alleged that organisers made her compete in a higher weight category.

Ashriya of  KARBC had defeated B Abhinaya of Sports Authority of Karnataka (SAK) in the junior 51-kg category on Tuesday to enter the final. In the title clash on Wednesday, Ashriya faced Devishree of Image Boxing Club (IBC) and it turned out to be a lop-sided affair with the latter emerging the winner by a mile.

However, drama unfolded after the match when Ashriya’s parents cried foul and protested that their daughter was pitted against an opponent from 61-kg category.

They accused the organisers for allowing a final between two different categories. The parents complained to the officials that there was no second finalist in the 51-kg category and thus the organisers let a participant from the 61-kg category to compete.
The organisers had no immediate answers to the parents’ claims and responded that a final decision will be taken at the end of the tournament.

While agreeing that the bout should not have taken place as per the rules, Martin Rajendran, Secratary of the Karnataka Amaetur Boxing Association, said the 61-kg category also did not have a second finalist and to ensure both the boxers end up with a medal, the match was allowed.

Furious
Not satisfied by the explantation, the furious parents told the association that they would not accept the medal.

However, later in the day, the KABA claimed that the issue was sorted out as the technical committee produced the weight documents of the participants measured on the opening day.

In the records, it was seen that Devishree also fell under the 51-kg category. Sai Satish, Treasurer of KABA, informed that the parents accepted the medal as they were satisfied with the proof submitted to them.