BFI Elections: SpiceJet owner Ajay Singh, who is currently serving as the President of Boxing Federation of India (BFI), is set to face stiff competition for the post as BJP MLA Ashish Shelar, who is also a former president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), is set to contest for the President’s post in the upcoming BFI elections.
Talking to Insidesport, BFI Secretary General Jay Kowli has earlier confirmed Shelar has expressed the desire to fight for the President’s post and now the same has been confirmed Shelar himself.
“I am looking forward to joining the boxing family and taking this crucial Olympic sport to the next level,” Ashish Shelar, who has a fine track record as a sports administrator, said while announcing his candidature from the Maharashtra Amateur Boxing Association.
“With my vast experience in handling various sports bodies, I will be able to strengthen boxing at the grassroots level which has sorely been neglected. At the same time, I can use my connect with cricket and football stalwarts to provide the push for our elite boxers to attain even more glory for the country,” he said.
“This is a huge boost for Indian boxing,” Jay Kowli, Secretary General of the BFI, said. “Mr Shelar is a fine administrator and has done a lot for many sports in Maharashtra and his vision for boxing is truly impressive,” he added.
BFI Elections: Who is Ashish Shelar?
-The 48-year-old Shelar, apart from being an advocate, is a heavyweight politician, being seen as a leader for the future by the top brass of BJP. Considered to be a people’s man, he was the sports minister for the state of Maharashtra during the last regime and is the chief whip of the party in the Maharashtra Assembly.
– He is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), having won the elections from the prestigious Bandra West constituency that houses the country’s top film stars and sporting legends.
– Shelar has won praise from top Mumbai cricketers for the way he ran the Mumbai Cricket Association during his tenure as president. He was also on the organising committee of the World Twenty20 hosted by India in 2016 too.
– The 48-year-old also served as Chairman of Mumbai district football association representing Mumbai’s 350 football clubs.
– He has also been at the helm of various other sports as well, including Malkhamb & Rope Skipping, that have sharpened his skills as an administrator.
– Shelar is currently the member of the Mumbai City Boxing Association as well as Maharashtra Boxing Association.
Meanwhile, BFI elections, which were postponed due to the pandemic, will now take place on 18th December as confirmed by Jay Kowli.
The BFI office-bearers are currently on a three-month extension because of the pandemic. The term of the executive committee was to be over on September 25 but was extended by three months by a Special General Meeting in September.