Ajay Singh resigns as interim panel chief, to contest BFI polls
'Since I intend to contest the forthcoming elections, I believe it is appropriate and in the interest of fairness and transparency that I step down from the position of chairman of the interim committee with immediate effect. World Boxing may accordingly nominate a suitable individual to oversee any necessary functions of the interim committee until the new executive body is duly elected,' Singh wrote in his email to WB president Boris van der Vorst.
The tenure of the previous set of BFI office-bearers ended on February 2. Elections were initially scheduled for March 28 but were delayed due to multiple litigations which led WB to constitute an interim committee under Singh's stewardship. Last month, the world body had urged the interim committee to hold elections by August 31.
The global governing body has asked Fairuz Mohammed — he was WB's observer in the interim committee — to take charge of the federation's daily operations till the new BFI president is elected.
'We respect this decision and hereby appoint Mr Fairuz Mohammed, president of Singapore Boxing, as chairman of the interim committee to ensure continuity till the new body is elected,' van der Vorst said in his response to Singh's communication.
Both van der Vorst and WB acting secretary-general, Mike McAtee, will be present as observers for the elections.
Singh has completed two four-year terms as BFI president and is now aiming for a final stint, as per the 2011 National Sports Development Code of India.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Standard
a few seconds ago
- Business Standard
Boxing: Anurag Thakur once again declared ineligible for BFI elections
Former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur was once again rendered ineligible to contest the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections, with his name omitted from the electoral college released on Wednesday for the August 21 polls. The Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) had nominated Thakur and its President Rajesh Bhandari as its two representatives for the Annual General Meeting (AGM), where the key agenda is the election of new office-bearers for the 20252029 term. However, the BFI interim committee, constituted by World Boxing in April to oversee the federation's daily affairs, issued a 66-member electoral college after scrutiny, excluding Thakur's name. According to the interim committee chaired by Fairuz Mohamed, Thakur's nomination was found to be "in violation of Article 20 (iii) and (vii) of the Constitution of BFI approved by World Boxing." As per the revised BFI Constitution, approved by World Boxing on May 18, Clause (iii) states that the nominee to attend the General Council Meeting "shall be an elected member of the State/UT member association during the election AGM duly notified to BFI and in presence of BFI observer." Thakur is not an elected member of HPBA, and his nomination had previously been rejected on similar grounds ahead of the elections initially scheduled for March 28. At the time, the disqualification was based on an office directive issued by then BFI President Ajay Singh. That provision is now part of the formally revised constitution. Additionally, Clause (vii) disqualifies individuals who are "Government servants or holding a public office," and Thakur is a sitting Member of Parliament from Himachal Pradesh. Similarly, the nomination of Delhi Amateur Boxing Association's Rohit Jainendra Jain was also rejected for violating Clause (iii) of the revised constitution. Earlier this week, HPBA President Bhandari claimed that they had filed a fresh suit challenging the legality of the constitutional amendments made by the interim committee without the approval of an Executive Council. The tenure of the previous BFI office-bearers ended on February 2. Elections were initially scheduled for March 28, but the process was stalled due to legal wrangling, including multiple appeals and counter-appeals. World Boxing has set a deadline of August 31 for the elections to be completed. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
31 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Like Bumrah, Siraj's workload needs care to avoid injury: RP Singh
Mohammed Siraj is in the same league as premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah and it is important to manage his workload carefully to keep him injury-free, said former Indian fast bowler RP Singh. Siraj bowled 185.3 overs in the recently-concluded five-match Test series in England and finished as the highest wicket-taker with 23 wickets, emerging as the most utilised bowler in the series. The 31-year-old from Hyderabad claimed nine wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings of the fifth Test, playing a key role in India's six-run victory that helped the visitors level the series 2-2. Workload management will be crucial to prevent Siraj from getting injured in the future," Singh said in an interview with PTI-Bhasha. "Fast bowlers are at higher risk of injury when they play too many matches in a short time. His workload should be managed just like we did with Bumrah." Citing Jasprit Bumrah's example, Singh said: "It's because of better workload management, Bumrah bowled brilliantly in both ODI and T20 World Cups. "Siraj is also in the same league. To protect him from injuries, we need to seriously focus on his workload, sooner or later." Singh, who played 82 matches for India including 14 Tests, praised Siraj for his lion-hearted performance during the England tour. Siraj was the only bowler who played all five Tests and bowled with full energy and intensity in each match," said Singh, a JioHotstar' Cricket expert. "The last ball of the series, which bowled out the batsman, was one of his top five fastest deliveries in the series. Siraj delivered a 143 kmph yorker to clean up Gus Atkinson and seal India's win in the fifth Test. It was the fifth-fastest ball he bowled in the series. "This shows that he never lacked effort. He focused on bowling with the right line and length and contributed beyond expectations for the team. His fitness and rhythm were excellent throughout, Singh said. Having bowled largely under Bumrah's leadership until now, Siraj carved his own identity during the England series. Singh noted that even Bumrah's success has been supported by Siraj. "Just like batsmen need partnerships, bowlers also prefer bowling in pairs. Bumrah tends to take more wickets and his unique action troubles batters more," the former left-arm bowler said. "Siraj's role is to build pressure from his end, and he does that very well. Their partnership has been special and delivered great performances. When Bumrah is not in the team, Siraj automatically becomes our lead fast bowler." On the debate over Bumrah featuring in only three matches on the England tour due to workload management, Singh said: "That was already planned. The good thing about Bumrah is that whenever he's in the team, he gives you wickets. "Captains always expect breakthroughs from him. He usually bowls more than others in any match he plays." Singh also praised skipper Shubman Gill, who led from the front with 754 runs in the series. No one thought India would come back and level the series 2-2. Gill was impressive as captain. He made good decisions and his personal performance was outstanding. "When a captain performs well in his role, it positively influences his decision-making." The series also saw moments of grit as injured players had to bat to save matches. Rishabh Pant came out to bat in Manchester despite a fractured leg, while England's Chris Woakes batted with his left arm in a sling after suffering a shoulder fracture. Singh said in such situations, teams should be allowed like-for-like injury replacements. In my opinion, there should be a neutral doctor or physio during every match who decides the severity of a player's injury and whether the player is fit to play. If not, the team should be allowed to bring in a replacement of similar ability, he said. Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh did not feature in any of the Tests, and Singh attributed this to the team management's preference for all-rounders. There's no doubt that every player wants to be in the playing XI. From the first match of the series, India decided to strengthen the batting. To deepen the batting lineup, the team preferred all-rounders. That's why Kuldeep didn't get to play," he said. If the team had prioritized bowling strength, then Kuldeep would have played. Washington Sundar partially filled the spin bowler role. But I believe there were two or three pitches where Kuldeep could have been very effective. But these things happen in cricket, if not today, then there will be opportunities in the future.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Boxing polls: Interim committee rejects Anurag Thakur's nomination
New Delhi: A day after Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) nominated Anurag Thakur for the August 21 Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections, the interim committee, headed by World Boxing representative, Fairuz Mohamed, the Singapore federation president, has rejected it. New Delhi, India - November 24, 2021: Union Cabinet Minister Anurag Singh Thakur addresses the media on Cabinet decisions at National Media Centre, in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, November 24, 2021. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times) (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO) The new electoral college was prepared on Wednesday and has been handed over to the newly-appointed Returning Officer, Justice (retd) Rajesh Tandon, who was appointed on Monday. However, part of the electoral college are erstwhile BFI treasurer Digvijay Singh and secretary general Hemanta Kalita, who were removed by outgoing president Ajay Singh over charges of financial wrongdoing. Digvijay Singh has been nominated by the Madhya Pradesh unit and Kalita by Assam. Delhi Amateur Boxing Association's Rohit Jainendra Jain's nomination has also been rejected. Both Rohit and Thakur have been found in violation of Article 20 (iii) of BFI's constitution that mandates the candidates to be 'an elected member of the State/UT member association during the election AGM duly notified to BFI and in presence of BFI observer.' Thakur's nomination has also been found in violation of Article 20 (vii) that states the candidate 'shall not be a Government servant or hold a public office.' Thakur, a former union minister, is currently a Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh. Out of the 34 state units of BFI, 30 have given support to the new constitution under which Thakur and Jain were disqualified from contesting, urging that the elections be held on schedule and as per the World Boxing-approved constitution. The dissenting state units — Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat — have petitioned courts challenging these sections of the BFI statute. The pleas will come up for hearing in Himachal, Delhi and MP on Thursday. Each state unit is required to nominate two candidates for the elections. The rejection of Rohit's nomination means Neeraj Jain will be the sole candidate from Delhi while Rajesh Bhandari, vice-president in the previous body, remains the only nominee from Himachal Pradesh. Thakur's earlier exclusion had led to litigation. The hearing is scheduled for August 18. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA), in a letter to the union sports ministry on July 30 had recommended that the interim committee be dissolved and the elections be held under the supervision of IOA or an independent authority nominated by the high court or the ministry. The tenure of the previous set of BFI office-bearers ended on February 2. Elections were initially set for March 28, but were delayed due to litigations that led to the World Boxing setting up an interim committee with Ajay Singh as its head. The tenure of that panel ended on August 2 with Singh's resignation to contest for the president's post for a third term. World Boxing then designated Mohammed as the interim panel head till the new body takes over after elections.
