IOA Forms Committee To Ascertain Delay In BFI Elections; Interim Panel Assures Polls By August 31
"The term of the current Executive Committee of the BFI ended on Feb 2 and fresh elections have not been conducted since," Usha said in an IOA office order dated July 11.
According to the order, the committee will examine the "current legal and administrative status of the BFI and assess the implications of the delay on the governance and functioning of boxing in India." It will also "recommend necessary actions, including engagement with World Boxing, and suggest a clear roadmap for holding elections in a fair and timely elections." The committee has been asked to submit its report within a week "so that the factual position can be presented to World Boxing." The formation of the panel comes after the Sports Ministry, in a letter dated July 5, requested Usha to "device a mechanism providing a suitable way forward in consultation with World Boxing to ensure elections are held at the earliest in accordance with the National Sports Code, 2011 and bye laws of BFI." Usha had also met World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst in Lausanne last month.
The tenure of the previous BFI office-bearers ended on February 2. Elections were initially scheduled for March 28, but the process has since been stalled due to legal wrangling, including multiple appeals and counter-appeals.
To ensure administrative continuity and oversight of domestic and international competitions, World Boxing set up a six-member Interim Committee, headed by Ajay Singh on April 7, with a 90-day mandate.
Last week, it extended the committee's tenure and urged the panel to complete the election process by August 31.
Interestingly, while Usha has announced the fact-finding panel, she has yet to nominate the final member of the BFI Interim Committee.
Interim Committee assures timely BFI elections by August 31 deadline
BFI Executive Director Arun Malik, who is also a member of the Interim Committee, in a statement on Sunday stated that the committee is "fully committed to delivering free and fair polls within the given timeline." "At the same time, it is important to reaffirm that the autonomy of the National Federation is governed by the framework laid down by the World Body," Malik said.
Reacting to IOA's move to form a committee to examine the delay in BFI elections, Malik said the process is already underway and is transparent and accountable.
"While we respect the intent behind the IOA's formation of a three-member fact-finding committee, the process under way is already transparent, accountable, and well-documented." "All key action points and developments have been formally communicated to both the IOA and the Ministry, ensuring complete institutional clarity," he added.
The BFI has been plagued by internal strife and factionalism in the run-up to the elections. The Returning Officer, former Delhi High Court judge RK Gauba, had also resigned from his post, alleging a smear campaign against him.
Former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur is set to contest for the Presidemt's post against incumbent Ajay Singh.
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Hindustan Times
15 hours ago
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NSGB means groundhogs and their days will return. The 'autonomy' of sports federations has ensured the NSGB axe for draft clauses that had seemed appropriate for India's politically interwoven sporting system. This is the deleted clause: 'An individual shall be disqualified from being an Individual Member or a representative of a Voting Member (in an NOC/NSF) upon conviction of an offence and being sentenced for a period of more than 2 (two) years.' Whereas, even under the Constitution, anyone convicted and sentenced for two years cannot contest elections for six years. But Indian sport is a free-for-all anyway, so why can't convicted individuals get a clear run here, eh? There's big events to be conducted.
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Hindustan Times
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