Guwahati: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday appointed an ad-hoc committee to run the affairs of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) after it failed to hold its elections on time.
The IOA ad hoc committee will be headed by the Jharkhand Olympic Association general secretary Madhukant Pathak.
BFI vice-president Rajesh Bhandari, fellow boxing officials DP Bhatt and Virendra Singh Thakur and Assam boxer Shiva Thapa are the other panel members.
The ad hoc committee will oversee the affairs of BFI and ensure the “smooth functioning of its activities until the conduct of free and fair elections.”
The primary mandate of the committee is to address the grievances raised by the boxing community, ensure athlete participation in upcoming international competitions, and expedite the BFI elections, which have faced significant delays.
The IOA’s decision comes after the tenure of the current BFI office-bearers officially ended on February 2, but the election process was stalled due to a legal case concerning the previous election results, which were ruled against the BFI.
“The IOA has been closely monitoring the administrative affairs of BFI. As per the governing norms, elections to BFI were to be conducted on or before February 2, 2025. However, despite the prescribed timeline, the elections have not been held, resulting in administrative instability within the federation,” IOA president PT Usha said.
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Usha said she has received “numerous complaints” from stakeholders, including athletes, coaches and officials regarding “non-participation” of Indian boxers in various national and international events in recent months. The Women’s national championships have been postponed twice.
“This situation is detrimental to the growth and performance of Indian boxing on the global stage and necessitates immediate corrective measures,” Usha said.
