BFI's leadership battle needs early solution for the sake of Indian boxers

New Delhi: The Indian boxers are regaining momentum after months of inactivity but if the Boxing Federation of India's (BFI) election deadlock continues, the uncertainty around the formation of new body could adversely impact progress of the country's pugilists.

President Ajay Singh, seeking a third term, has announced a series of age-group tournaments and assured that national camps will also resume soon, along with a revamped coaching setup.

But if a new president takes over post-elections, there is no guarantee if the new EC will keep the current system.

Singh stated, "We will fulfil our responsibility, a new team is free to take their calls later." However, potential disruptions could harm the boxers' preparation and affect consistency.

India's boxers are yet to compete in an international tournament in this Olympic cycle. With the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games scheduled for next year, they are still adjusting to new world governing body's weight categories. Further delays could hurt them.

Singh has promised to recruit new coaches and review the controversial selection policy.

Indian boxing has been without a High-Performance Director since Bernard Dunne stepped down in March last year. The BFI invited applications for a foreign coach in August, but no appointment has been made.

Foreign coach Dmitry Dmitruk and chief coach C.A. Kuttappa are also absent from the men's team which is currently in Brazil for the first World Cup.

The president has also introduced a new selection process for national camps. Previously, the top four finishers at the Nationals secured camp spots. Under the new system, a pool of eight boxers will be formed based on performances across three tournaments, from which four national campers in each weight class will be selected.

But if Singh loses the election, these plans risk being overturned, further disrupting the boxers' training and development.

Factionalism and its fallout

The BFI's internal power struggle has already cost athletes valuable time. The ongoing factionalism led to repeated postponements of the women's Nationals.

Days before the Nationals, Singh suspended Secretary General Hemanta Kalita and Treasurer Digvijay Singh after an investigation led by former Delhi High Court Judge Sudhir Kumar Jain found them guilty of "financial irregularities." Two rival factions have emerged in the run up to the elections, one being led by Singh. On the other side are Kalita, Digvijay, and Vice President Rajesh Bhandari, who support former sports minister Anurag Thakur's presidential bid.

As a result state units that aligned with the opposing faction, including Assam, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, boycotted the women's Nationals, depriving their boxers of crucial competition.

Election controversy

Like several other National Sports Federation (NSF) elections in recent times, the BFI elections have been marred by legal disputes and procedural delays.

The Returning Officer has paused the electoral proceedings until greater clarity emerges.

The Delhi Amateur Boxing Association (DABA) and the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association challenged the exclusion of their representatives, which stemmed from a March 7 order by Singh that only elected members in state bodies could participate in the electoral process.

The Delhi and Himachal High Courts stayed the disqualifications and ruled in favour of the state units.

The Himachal court had also directed the BFI to extend the date of nominations to enable his candidature.

The BFI has filled appeals against both judgments.

Singh has support from some senior members, but shifting loyalties and withdrawals make the outcome uncertain until polling day.

Indian boxing thus remains in limbo.