E-Paper
HC notice to Centre on 3 boxers’ plea over selection criterion for Asian Games squad
The petitioners include 2019 World Championships silver medallist Amit Panghal (51kg), 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sagar Ahlawat (+92kg) and 2021 national champion Rohit Mor (57kg).
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday sought response from the department of youth affairs and sports, Government of India, on the pleas from three elite boxers against the Boxing Federation of India’s (BFI) evaluation process for selecting the Hangzhou Asian Games squad.
The petitioners include 2019 World Championships silver medallist Amit Panghal (51kg), 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sagar Ahlawat (+92kg) and 2021 national champion Rohit Mor (57kg).
The seven-member men’s Asian Games squad was announced on July 1. The three petitioners had finished second in their respective weight classes in the evaluation process, and thus not made it to the final squad. Deepak Bhoria (663 points) pipped Panghal (619) while Mor (574) was a distant second to Sachin (651). In the superheavy division, Narender (578) made the cut ahead of Sagar Ahlawat (558), as per reports.
As per BFI’s selection policy put in place since the start of the year, trials have been largely done away with. The boxers (men and women) are now assessed on various parameters in the national camp in Patiala over 2-3 weeks and selected.
The Centre and BFI has been told to respond by July 24.
“..Respondent No. 4 (BFI) illegally changed the selection criteria inter alia for National Coaching Camps, World Championships and Asian Games, 2023, in a completely arbitrary manner and against National Sports Development Code of India (NSCI), 2011, and against selection policy. It is pertinent to mention here that criteria of trials for finally selecting boxer for participation in World Championships and Asian Games was done away with and an arbitrary method was introduced based on personal evaluation of the so-called evaluators instead of performance in final selection trial/s..,” reads one of the pleas seeking quashing of the new criterion and allowing them to be part of Asian Games squad on the basis of trials.
The pleas argue it is the performance of athletes/boxers which is determining factor for positions/medals in competitions. Therefore, final selection trials in the form of competitions should be determining factor for sending/recommending a team/athlete for any national or international competition.
The plea further says other national sports federations have been conducting trials for final selection/recommendation of teams/athletes for participation in major international tournaments including Asian Games as mandated in NSCI.
