New Delhi, Nov 29 (UNI) A strong undercurrent within the Boxing Federation of India has forced its officials to shift the venue of its upcoming AGM and elections to Gurugram, Haryana.
The BFI was keen to hold the rescheduled elections in Guwahati, Assam on December 18, 2020, after they could not be held in September due to COVID-19. But due to pressure from its members, it bowed down and agreed to move them.
“Many of us in the BFI were not happy with the choice of Guwahati as the venue,” revealed Rohit Jain, chairman, Delhi Boxing Association. “We were sceptical and believed that they may not be a smooth and easy affair, that something could go wrong. So raised my voice against it. I am happy that we have got the elections shifted to a neutral venue.”
BFI Secretary General Jay Kowli confirmed the shift of venue. “Due to COVID-19, most members felt that travelling to Gurugram would be easier and safer and requested us to make the change. Given the connectivity issues to Guwahati, we agreed, We wanted to make sure that everybody could get to the AGM easily to ensure a free and fair elections,” he added.
The four-year term of the current BFI executive council members ended on September 25, 2020, but they extended their tenure for three months, citing COVID-19 concerns, in a special general body meeting held on September 19, 2020.
In the same meeting, the BFI amended its constitution to comply with the National Sports Code 2011, which is mandatory to get government recognition and grants.
The big battle is for the president’s post with incumbent Ajay Singh throwing his hat in the ring for a second term. The Spice Jet head honcho, who was elected in 2016, had made a raft of promises, which have largely remained unfulfilled, leading to a lot of resentment within the BFI.
“We made a mistake by backing Ajay Singh last time,” Prof Anil Mishra, vice-president of BFI, said.
“He didn’t deliver on any promises and has in fact left BFI’s finances in a mess. We need a new leader who can put boxing back on its way to glory,” Mishra, who is also the secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Boxing Association, said.
UNI NC 1730