Baffled why IOA won't recognise us, says Boxing India chief

Frustrated by Indian Olympic Association's refusal to grant them recognition, Boxing India President Sandeep Jajodia said he was ‘baffled’ by IOA's logic of trying to keep an ad-hoc committee relevant even when an elected body is in place to run the sport.

Boxing India assumed charge as India's national federation for the sport after election conducted in the presence of an International Boxing Association (AIBA) observer in September.

Boxing India got full membership in AIBA last month. Boxing India has also conducted the National Women's Championships and has been invited by the Sports Ministry for every deliberation pertaining to Indian boxing.

However, the IOA has refused to recognise Boxing India despite ‘repeated requests’.

"So far as the Government of India is concerned, I understand that our application is being processed. As regards IOA, we don't know the reason. It is very sad that the IOA sent out communication to state units regarding the National Games without the knowledge of Boxing India," Jajodia said.

"I have failed to understand why this situation has been created. We have got the world body's nod, the Ministry is involved with us but the IOA is bent on ignoring our application for recognition. It is baffling," he added.

While refusing to grant Boxing India recognition, the IOA continues to assert the functional authority of its ad-hoc committee which was formed to select teams for the Commonwealth and Asian Games after the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation was terminated by AIBA and derecognised by the Sports Ministry.

The IOA has asserted that IABF remains registered with it as the recognised body for running boxing and has gone to the extent of calling Boxing India a parallel body despite it getting the AIBA's approval.

The IOA ad-hoc committee, which is chaired by veteran administrator Tarlochan Singh, had six members of which Kishan Narsi and national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu have already resigned.

The committee had invited entries of teams for the National Games, scheduled from January 30 in Kerala.

"This was done deliberately to create confusion among the state units. We have failed to understand why the IOA is corresponding to the states. We are pursuing the application for our recognition with IOA and had recently again written to them but they are just not responding," the Boxing India chief said.

Jajodia made it clear that the entries for National Games will be decided by BI and not by IOA's ad-hoc committee, which was de-recognised by AIBA after Boxing India took charge.

"We firmly believe that ad-hocism should not be encouraged. There is a system and we should adhere to the system," he asserted.

In its latest communication to IOA, Boxing India has stated that entries for the National Games will be decided as per the results of the National Championships.

"We are ready with the women's lost as their Nationals are done with. The men's Nationals are scheduled from January 9 in Nagpur and only the champions will get to participate in the National Games. We have requested the IOA to extend the last date for entries to January 15," he said.