Hold BFI elections immediately, say officials
Boxing officials demand immediate BFI elections, citing delays by Ajay Singh. Court orders fresh schedule before April 28, amid concerns over governance.
New Delhi: Several boxing officials of state units came together here on Tuesday, demanding immediate elections for the Boxing Federation of India executive board.
“The current term of BFI ended on February 2, 2025, and Mr. Ajay Singh has adopted every possible tactic to delay the elections and weaken the BFI constitution,” said BFI secretary general Hemanta Kumar Kalita.
He pointed to the Himachal Pradesh High Court direction to the returning officer to issue a fresh election schedule before April 28, when the case is set to be heard again. The court has also asked Sports Ministry to appoint an observer,
Some other members present during interaction with media were BFI treasurer Digvijay Singh, vice presidents ID Nanavati, Anil Boidhar and Rajesh Bhandari.
“Ajay Singh is running the federation in an arbitrary manner without following the BFI Constitution. His term has been the worst, causing immense damage to the boxing community. Everyone is shocked how one individual took control of the entire system and ruined the sport,” said Digvijay Singh.
The BFI election has been “paused” by returning officer RK Gauba after multiple court orders. The Himachal Pradesh High Court has stayed the disqualification of former sports minister Anurag Thakur from the electoral college, calling for fresh nominations.
Thakur, who intends to contest for the president’s post, has sent his nomination from Himachal Pradesh state unit but it was rejected by Singh saying only elected members were qualified to be included in the electoral college.
Interim committee meets
Meanwhile, World Boxing has formed an interim committee, with Singh as chairman, to look into the affairs of the BFI until the elections take place.
Some BFI officials had reached out to the world body, informing them about the situation on the ground.
The committee held its first meeting on Monday.
“The committee took decisions to immediately rejuvenate the domestic circuit as well as restart the elite boxing system. It was also decided that the selections of coaches and support staff for the Elite Men and Women National Coaching Camps will be actioned with immediate effect,” said the interim committee.
Other key decisions taken were effective participation of India’s budding boxers in the U-15 and U-17 Asian Championships in Amman, Jordan commencing April 17, 2025 and ensuring smooth conduct of the Youth U-19 National Championships.
