Boxing Federation of India braces for polls after months of turmoil

New Delhi: Months of uncertainty due to governance issues, turf wars and internal power struggles are set to end when the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) holds its much-delayed elections on Thursday.

The hope, finally, is that action inside the ring will reclaim the spotlight.

Two-time president Ajay Singh is seeking a third consecutive term. The SpiceJet MD has remained the central figure in Indian boxing even after the tenure of the previous office-bearers expired on February 2.

Until early this month, he also headed the World Boxing-appointed interim committee that was running BFI's daily affairs, an arrangement seen as a sign of his influence with the newly-formed world body.

During this period, new coaches were appointed for the men's and women's teams, the constitution was amended, and the controversial selection assessment process was also tweaked. A revised system for national camp selections is also in place.

Interestingly, the interim committee under Singh named Kerala state unit chief D. Chandralal, who was one of the candidates for the president's post during the March elections, as head coach of the women's team.

Earlier this month, the interim committee also lifted the suspension of former secretary general Hemanta Kalita in the run-up to the polls.

Both Chandralal and Kalita will vote in the elections.

But the committee's very legitimacy has been under scrutiny. The Indian Olympic Association's fact-finding commission recommended its termination for violating the National Sports Code, 2011.

Additionally, several state units have also taken legal action against the constitutional amendments introduced by the interim body.

Although the Delhi High Court has allowed elections to go ahead, it has made the results subject to the final outcome of the ongoing case.

The power struggle has already taken a toll on athletes. Factional fights delayed the women's Nationals. And in the new Olympic cycle, which began under a new global governing body, Indian boxers are still adjusting to revised weight categories.

While male boxers have competed in two international events, their female counterparts have managed only one. With big-ticket events likes the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games scheduled for next year, the stakes are high.

Singh's only challenger is 1984 Olympian and Sikkim state unit chief Jaslal Pradhan, who is expected to be backed by the rival bloc comprising the likes of Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Delhi units.

The faction has accused Singh of running the federation in an autocratic manner, pointing to decisions such as the appointment of foreign coaches without consultation with the BFI executive committee.

If Pradhan wins, it remains uncertain whether the new EC will retain existing systems. Changes could potentially cause fresh disruptions in boxers' training and development.

Elections were originally slated for March 28 but were stalled by a barrage of petitions, appeals and counter-appeals. Nearly six months later, the elections will finally take place.