BFI set to involve boxers in decision-making

Having boxers on board in the decision-making process and making it mandatory for them to compete in the National Championships were the two major decisions taken at the newly-formed Boxing Federation of India’s (BFI) maiden Executive Committee meeting here on Tuesday.

Chaired by BFI President Ajay Singh and attended by Secretary General Jay Kowli among others, the committee finalised November 19 to 25 as the dates for the women’s National Championships besides picking the first half of December for the men’s showpiece.Besides, Kowli proposed the induction of two boxers in the committee and for that the elections will take place during the National Championships.

“The idea is to give boxers voice and to have them involved in the process of taking boxing forward,” BFI President Ajay Singh told. “Every state can nominate one boxer and boxers will vote for who they want during the National Championships,” added Kowli.

“All boxers will have to compete in the Nationals to be eligible for the national camp. Unless there is some major exigency, the boxers will have to compete in the Nationals. This is to ensure there is good competition. The Nationals will double up as trials for the national camp,” he said.

The National Championships, which have not been held for a long time owing to the administrative mess which ended last month with the formation of BFI, have been consistently losing sheen even in the past owing to top boxers backing out of them.Among other issues, the BFI claimed that the standoff with Railways Sports Promotion Board and Services Sports Control Board is now over.