MUMBAI: The governing body of amateur boxing (AIBA) has given recognition to a newly-elected national federation in India, paving the way for fighters to compete under their national flag at the Asian Games which starts this week.
The Indian Amateur Boxing Federation was suspended in late 2012 for ‘possible manipulation’ in its elections and eventually terminated by AIBA in March this year.
AIBA subsequently gave provisional approval to a new group called Boxing India which ignored bickering units and held fresh elections last week.
“I would like first of all to congratulate you and your new national federation on the recent elections of all the executive of Boxing India including you as its president,” AIBA chief Ching-Kuo Wu wrote in a letter to Boxing India president Sandeep Jajodia.
“I would like to emphasise the importance of managing Boxing India in the most transparent, fair, democratic manner and most importantly in the respect of all AIBA rules and regulations.”
The AIBA also advised the new body to seek recognition from the Indian Olympic Association in the near future.
The Indian boxers contributed nine medals, including two gold medals, at the last Asian Games in Guangzhou - their second highest in all disciplines.
But leading boxer Vijender Singh will be unable to defend his Asian Games middleweight title after a hand injury ruled him out of the Incheon Games, which kick off with the opening ceremony on Friday.
In football midfielder Kim Yun-Mi scored twice in the first 10 minutes yesterday as North Korea’s women footballers thrashed Vietnam 5-0 to lay down an early marker at the Asian Games. A day after their men’s team beat China 3-0, North Korea dominated their opening group clash with 26 shots against just three for Vietnam.
Kim scored in the fifth and 10th minutes before Kim Un-Ju and Ri Yeg-Yong made it 4-0 at half-time. Jong Yu-Ri got the fifth against flagging Vietnam with six minutes to go.
The game was only action at the Asian Games yesterday.
Agencies
