Selection foul play hits Indian boxing ahead of World Championship

All doesn’t seem to be well with Indian boxing, with the 2013 World Championships just a month away. The Indian boxing has come under the scanner, after three boxers took a swipe at the Indian Boxing Federation, alleging foul play in team selection in the recent World Championship trials.

The startling allegations came from Arjuna awardee Dinesh Kumar (91kg), national champion Dilbag Singh (69kg) and Praveen Kumar (+91kg).

The grouse the boxers have is that they outperformed their respective rivals during the selection trials and that they deserve to be picked in the national team for the World Championship, which will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan from October 11-27.

Asian Games silver medallist Manpreet Singh (91kg), Asian Championships silver medallist Mandeep Jangra (69 kg) and reigning national champion Satish (+91kg) were the boxers, who were picked ahead of the disgruntled trio.

The three boxers have threatened to take the selection committee to court in their bid to get justice.

What has added more bitterness to the whole unsavoury episode was the allegation by Dilbag Singh that Olympian Arjuna Awardee Akhil Kumar was responsible for his axing, as the latter was mentoring Mandeep Jangra, who replaced Dilbag in the 69kg category.

Akhil Kumar, livid with the outburst of Dilbag, has threatened to sue him for dragging his name in the issue.

The three-day selection trials were held from August 26-28 in the presence of a selection, committee, which included veterans such as Mehtab Singh and Padam Bahadur Mal besides Indian Boxing Federation secretary general Rajesh Bhandari.

Clearly, a lot of dirty linen has been washed in public domain and the Indian Boxing Federation in an attempt to calm the perturbed waters, has formed a three-member disciplinary committee to look into the allegations of manipulation in the World Championship trials.

It does look like the IBF wants to thrash out the issue amicably without sounding like singling out the three dropped pugilists.

IBF President Abhishek Matoria has gone on record to say that the disciplinary committee will serve show cause notices to the trio.

The three boxers will be allowed to present their case but could face action if they are found untrue. However, the national body is also willing to take a lenient view if the triumvirate apologise to them in writing or let them know if they were instigated by anybody.

Indian boxing lovers will hope that the national team leaves for the World Championships in Almaty next month in a right frame of mind sans any controversies.