BFI and IABF clash over control of national boxing federation

NEW DELHI: While India’s boxers chase success at the Asian Championships in Mongolia, officials within the country’s boxing administration are parallelly engaged in a power struggle, battling off the ring for control of the national federation.

The two rival bodies, Boxing Federation of India (BFI) and Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF), have reached out separately to the sports ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), accusing each other of harming the interests of the nation’s boxers.The BFI, headed by Ajay Singh and holding recognition from the sport’s global governing body, World Boxing (WB), has complained to the ministry about the IABF’s conduct as an unauthorised and illegal body.

It alleged that the IABF facilitated the participation of boxers in international events under the ‘India’ banner despite lacking authorisation.In response, the IABF, with former boxing administrator Rakesh Thakran as its secretary general, highlighted the BFI’s lack of annual recognition by the ministry. It also cited the issuance of repeated circulars over the past few months threatening to ban boxers from participation and creating an environment of fear and uncertainty for athletes.

It was highlighted that the BFI was granted provisional recognition by the ministry until Dec 31, 2025, and that the ministry and IOA did not send their observers to the BFI’s elections conducted on Aug 8 last year. Sources in the ministry said they have received representations from both factions, and a resolution would soon be achieved in the matter. But caught in the crossfire are the country’s boxers, whose careers may be affected by the ongoing dispute.