In the backdrop of the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) re-claiming its status as the National federation for the sport, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) on Wednesday made it clear that the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is the “only National federation recognised by AIBA in India.”
In a letter to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president N. Ramachandran, AIBA interim president Franco Falcinelli said the Ajay Singh-headed BFI was the recognised federation from the country and “no other national organisation can represent the AIBA affiliation in India.”
The BFI has got the recognition from the Sports Ministry and the IOA. The National Olympic Committee has granted affiliation to the BFI subject to ratification by the executive council/general body of the IOA.
The IABF, which was terminated by the AIBA for possible manipulation in its elections in 2012, subsequently lost recognition from the Sports Ministry. It was far from being active when Indian boxing went through a mess over a period of four years. Several of the IABF members also joined the BFI when it came into being in September last year.
Interestingly, the IABF, apparently backed by its former president Abhay Chautala, again became active ahead of the IOA elections (which are expected to be conducted in a few months) and held a meeting in Delhi on August 27 to bring the erstwhile federation back to life. Meanwhile, a reported exchange of letters between IOA president Ramachandran and secretary general Rajeev Mehta over the recognition to the IABF has contributed to the chaos surrounding the National boxing federation.
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