Saturday, 8 December 2012

Sports Ministry wakes up, suspends archery and boxing federations

In an embarrassing chain of events, the International boxing association (AIBA) and the sports ministry suspended the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF), citing its allegedly flawed election process in September.

The biggest sufferers will be the boxers as they won't be able to participate in any international event after the Youth World Championship, which ended on Friday, till the suspension is revoked.

On Thursday, AIBA provisionally suspended its Indian affiliate, alleging possible manipulation in its recent elections, while also citing the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) suspension of IOA.

"Further to the International Olympic Committee's suspension imposed on the Indian Olympic Association, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Executive Committee Bureau has decided today (December 6) to provisionally suspend the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF)," the world body said in a statement.

It added: "This provisional suspension is also due to the fact that AIBA had learnt about possible manipulation of the recent election of Indian federation." The move will also deny Indian boxers of international competition.

"Since the Indian National Olympic Committee is also suspended, there is unfortunately no way Indian boxers can participate in any competition after the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships, Yerevan 2012. AIBA will do its utmost to resolve the situation as soon as possible in the best interest of the athletes," Sébastien Gillot, PR & communications director, AIBA, told Mail Today.

"AIBA is conducting an investigation into the matter and it will take the time required by a serious investigation. Until this investigation has been completed and the true facts of the matter established, AIBA is unable to give any comment."

Within hours, the sports ministry, too, swung into action and suspended IABF, giving it 15 days for a re-election. The bone of contention was the IABF's elections in which a new post of nominated chairman was created for Abhay Singh Chautala, who had completed 12 years as president and could not extend his term as per the sports code guidelines. Among others, former secretary general PK Muralidharan Raja and vicepresident Rajesh Bhandari, who had completed their permissible terms, were also reelected unopposed, though in different capacities.

It infuriated the sports ministry and it asked the federation to give details about the election process to which the IABF responded. In November, a complaint was lodged with AIBA against the discrepancies in the IBF elections.

The boxing body replied on November 23, but the complaint turned out to be the last nail in the coffin and was instrumental in IABF's suspension.

Chautala stated that he is ready to quit IABF if required. Abhishek Matoria, president of IABF, said that the federation officials who are accompanying the youth team in Armenia, are seeking an appointment with AIBA head Ching-Kuo Wu there. "We are in the process of reconciliation and our officials like Raja, Lenny de Gama and Krishan Narsi are trying to get in touch with Mr Ching-Kuo Wu. We hope that the matter will be sorted out in a short period," he said.

Come what may, till a resolution is reached, the boxers will be bearing the brunt as they have no option but to sit out of international competition.

Source: http://indiatoday.feedsportal.com/c/33614/f/589699/s/265c30d6/l/0Lindiatoday0Bintoday0Bin0Cstory0Csports0Eministry0Earchery0Eboxing0Esuspension0Eaai0Eiabf0Evk0Emalhotra0Eolympic0Echarter0Esports0Ecode0C10C2365420Bhtml/story01.htm

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