BFI hit by selection controversy ahead of world championships

National champion Shiksha Narwal writes letter seeking explanation over exclusion from squad

With days to go for the women’s boxing world championships to be held in New Delhi from March 15, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is staring at a selection controversy.

In her letter, Shiksha said she has beaten Preeti at the national championships.

Shiksha Narwal, national champion in 54kg, has written to BFI over her exclusion from the squad, saying she has “fulfilled all the criteria and deserves a place in the team.”

In the 54kg category, which is an Olympic weight, Preeti has been selected.

In her letter, Shiksha said she has beaten Preeti at the national championships. “I am regularly doing training without missing a single day and I am fully fit but yet my name was removed from the world championships without any reason,” she wrote to top BFI officials.

“The national camp started on January 20 and the final list of registration for world championships was made on February 10. I was given the No.2 ranking while Preeti was made No.1 from No. 3. I want to know why I was not selected. I want that as per my talent I should be given an opportunity to represent the country at the world championships.”

She said that nine of 12 boxers have been “directly selected” being national champions while in two other weight categories Commonwealth Games medallists have been chosen.

This is the first time that the entire boxing contingent for a major meet was selected based on an “evaluation process” of the boxers during the national camp. High performance director Bernad Dunne has drawn a system where boxers are ranked based on various parameters like skill level, technical and tactical knowledge, international performances, ability to win on the big stage, sparring sessions etc.

Preeti, a talented boxer at youth level, is making a transition to senior international category and won bronze in 57kg at the Asian Championships in Jordan recently.

Shiksha’s coach Vijay Hooda believes it was unfair to leave her ward from the team as has given consistent results.

“Shiksha is a national champion and was top-ranked when the camp started. What happened in 20 days that a No.3 boxer was picked ahead of her? If you are not holding selection trials, then give us some reason. Whether it was done on the basis of more achievements or if she had beaten Shiksha or fights between the two in the camp, where again Shiksha has done better. We were not told anything,” said Hooda.

“We will wait for a response from BFI and we request them to look into it. As a last resort, we will have to move court if nothing happens,” says Hooda.

A BFI official said all boxers were told about the new selection policy at the beginning of the camp. “They have been assessed on various aspects and every week they have been ranked based on those parameters.”