The administrative mess in Indian boxing has been complicated further because of the inconsistency of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in dealing with the issue.
The international body suspended the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) on December 6 last against the backdrop of the International Olympic Committee’s suspension of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and due to a ‘possible link’ of former IABF president Abhay Chautala with the IOA elections.
A day later, the Union Sports Ministry suspended the IABF for alleged irregularities in its September 23 elections.
From that time, the AIBA stopped communicating with the Indian Federation. It then started correspondence with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and even wrote to the IABF to state that it would deal with the Sports Ministry only.
A few days later, the AIBA banned Indian boxers from participating in international events and followed it up with a decision not to communicate with SAI further.
AIBA has recently written to the IABF to state that the SAI should refrain from communicating with it when the latter tried to resume contacts with the international federation.
In an effort to save the situation from getting out of hand, the IABF has requested the SAI not to correspond with the AIBA any more.
“We are trying to sort out the issue. We have sought SAI’s help in this regard,” said an IABF source on Monday.
Meanwhile, in the constitution amendment proposals sent to AIBA for its approval, IABF has proposed to remove the chairman’s post from the organisation.
The post, created just before the IABF elections to accommodate outgoing president Chautala, led to controversy and triggered the present impasse in the National federation with regard to its status as a recognised national federation of the AIBA and the Union Government.
No one is clear about what the AIBA wants in the IABF constitution, which provisions in the previous constitution were in violation of the AIBA constitution or the Olympic Charter and how an amended constitution can meet the requirements of the AIBA and the Sports Ministry at the same time.
