BFI gets permanent AIBA membership

Welcoming the development, BFI president Ajay Singh said, "We are delighted that India is now a full member of AIBA. With this, our boxers will once again have the honour of competing under the National flag."

The Indian delegation has proposed the AIBA to jointly open a boxing academy in the country. The academy could open doors to budding pugilists who could get the right kind of training and state-of-the-art infrastructure.

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) unanimously voted to induct the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) as one of its permanent members during its Extraordinary Congress at Montreux, Switzerland, on Tuesday.

Welcoming the development, BFI president Ajay Singh said, “We are delighted that India is now a full member of AIBA. With this, our boxers will once again have the honour of competing under the National flag."

“BFI’s focus will be to develop the sport and ensure that our country wins laurels at the international level.”

India was provisionally suspended in December 2012 for “possible manipulation” in the erstwhile Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) elections. Later, IABF was terminated and a new body, Boxing India (BI), replaced it. However, due to internal squabble, the AIBA excluded BI from the international boxing community.

The BFI, which came into existence as the new national federation, got provisional membership from the AIBA following its elections in September last.

Meanwhile, the Indian delegation has proposed the AIBA to jointly open a boxing academy in the country. The academy could open doors to budding pugilists who could get the right kind of training and state-of-the-art infrastructure.