Ministry to address Boxing Federation's grouses

Days after the Indian Boxing Federation (IBF) had complained about delay in implementation of a government scheme and non-payment of incentives to coaches, the Sports Ministry has promised to "resolve these issues" as soon as possible.

- Boxing federation cry over minimal govt help

IBF secretary general P K Muralidharan Raja was called for a meeting by Sports Minister Ajay Maken after the Federation's recent complaint that a government scheme for procuring infrastructure was not benefitting the sport.

Raja had also stated that the coaches who groomed Indian boxers for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in which Vijender Singh bagged a bronze and two others reached quarter-finals, have not yet been paid their dues.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Raja said Maken has promised to ensure an early resolution of the matter.

"On learning that issues such as provision of boxing rings to IBF under the Govt 75:25 scheme has been pending for the past two years and that cash incentives to the coaches who were responsible for Vijender's Olympic bronze and India's performance during CWG 2010 and Asian Games 2010 have still not been rewarded, he (Maken) asked me to meet him in his office on Wednesday evening and promised to resolve these issues without any further delay," Raja said.

"Such immediate proactive measures by the ministry reinstates our belief that he (Maken) means business and that our problems will be addressed post haste whereby the boxers and coaches and the Federation can concentrate on the task of preparing for National and International level events," he added.