KO Punch: IOA puts in place ad hoc body for boxing

The hunger for power and ruining sports in India is not new. Even as the Indian Government is very keen to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics, governance at home, in India, has hit rock bottom. The latest is an ad hoc body being formed by the Indian Olympic Association to ensure the sport of boxing does not suffer further. For the record, a massive delay in holding election to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has resulted in the IOA President PT Usha taking action and constituting an ad hoc panel. This can possibly lead to a legal tussle as well, but that has become the norm rather than an exception in Indian sports.

Often, people talk of a vast chasm between cricket and how other sports in India are run. In the first place, the comparison itself is wrong. Cricket is run professionally and results are there to see, at least in white ball cricket. In contrast, if you look at wrestling, equestrian, tennis and so many more sporting disciplines, the governance is poor. Court cases are on and there is no end in sight.

For those who have followed Indian boxing, it has produced Olympics medals for India as well from Beijing 2008 when Vijender Singh won a medal. More Olympic medals also came through MC Mary Kom (London 2012) and Lovlina Borgohain in Tokyo 2020. What happened in the Paris 2024 Olympics was a fiasco, zero medal. At home, some frustrated boxers are turning pro, with more money in sight. The current term of the BFI is over and they can take credit for running boxing into the ground. If you look at the TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), they have still included a few boxers for the LA 2028 Olympics. Whether boxing will even be a part of the next Olympics is unclear.

That said, India cannot think boxing at home is finished. It is still important vis a vis the next Asian Games to be held in Nagoya, Japan, in 2026. Even if there is confusion on who will ‘run’ the boxing sport in Nagoya, the Olympic Council of Asia can step in. Internationally as well, world boxing is in turmoil. So the purpose of the ad hoc body formation is to ensure the sport and athletes (boxers) do not suffer. This is not the first time an ad hoc panel has been formed. It is also imperative the ad hoc does not stay in power for long as elections to a new body must be held for the BFI. It is well known, Ajay Singh, the president, wants to continue for one more term.

The IOA has received complaints from state units. It is also clear, lack of boxing camps, foreign coaches not being hired has led to more chaos in Indian boxing. A whole generation of boxers have suffered. There is no dearth of talent. To take it forward and ensure India does not slip further in boxing, an ad hoc body has been put in place. Given the history of court cases in governance, one could see a flurry of activity once again in the Delhi High Court.

For the time being, an ad hoc in place means boxing will not be looked at as an orphan. Hopefully, this will be good news for the boxing fraternity at home by and large. The immediate concern is how boxing talent in India can be nurtured, not allowed to die an unnatural death.