There seems to be finally much-needed light at the end of the tunnel for Indian boxing. After months of uncertainty gripping the sport, it does appear that the Kishen Narsi-headed ad-hoc committee has been able to hammer out a solution to Indian boxing woes.
Indian boxing has been without a federation ever since the International Boxing Federation (AIBA) slapped a provision suspension on Boxing India in September 2015 with Narsi and his men tasked with finding an entity that can run the affairs of Indian boxing.
It has taken eight months for the AIBA-constituted ad-hoc committee to find an entity to run Indian boxing. It may be recalled that the AIBA has given time till 14 May 2016 for Indian boxing stakeholders to put a federation in place.
It was clearly stated that if a federation was not put in place by then, Indian boxers run the risk of being barred from the 2016 Rio Olympics.
As far as Olympic representation goes, Shiva Thapa is the only boxer to have qualified with only two Olympic qualifying events left for both men and women.
It is learnt that boxing stakeholders have zeroed in on a new name for the federation – Boxing Federation of India. What is of significance is that 33 of the 36 state units are believed to have applied for membership of BFI as everyone seems to realise the urgency of having a federation before 14 May.
The breakthrough came during the recent meeting of Indian administrators and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Director Injeti Srinivas on 7 April. A stakeholders meet will be held on 16 April in Kolkata, where the date of the fresh elections is expected to be announced.
The meeting in Kolkata is of huge importance as it could lead to a conduct of elections and subsequent formation of a federation. Boxers have suffered a lot in the country as the non-existence of a federation has meant that there are no national events held and boxers, especially in the junior works were staring at uncertainty.
Hopefully all that would be a thing of the past and Indian boxers would be able to box under the national flag in Rio unlike on many occasions when they fought under the AIBA flag as no federation was in place.
