The Indian Boxing Federation (BFI) finally concluded its elections amidst a long-standing dispute and legal battle. In the crucial contest held on Thursday, incumbent President Ajay Singh defeated his rival Jaslal Pradhan to secure the BFI presidential post for the third consecutive time.
Sports News: The long-running dispute in the Indian Boxing Federation (BFI) seems to be coming to an end. Incumbent President Ajay Singh has been elected as the head of the federation for the third consecutive time. The long-delayed BFI elections were held on Thursday, in which Ajay Singh retained his seat by defeating Jaslal Pradhan.
These elections had been stalled for over six months due to legal battles. The voting process was completed in the presence of Election Officer Rajesh Tandon and the head of the BFI's interim committee, Fairooz Muhammad of Singapore. Fairooz Muhammad was appointed as an observer by World Boxing.
Elections Delayed Due to Legal Hurdles and Appeals
The BFI elections had been delayed for over six months due to legal hurdles and appeals. Finally, these elections were completed in the presence of Election Officer Rajesh Tandon and the head of the BFI's interim committee, Fairooz Muhammad of Singapore. Fairooz was sent as an observer by World Boxing.
Although World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst and General Secretary Mike McAtee were also expected to be present as observers, they did not participate in the process. Furthermore, the Ministry of Sports of the Government of India and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) did not send any representatives for the election. Despite this, the election process was completed smoothly.
Election of General Secretary and Treasurer
In this election, Pramod Kumar of Uttar Pradesh was elected as the new General Secretary of the BFI. He replaced Hemanta Kalita of Assam. Kalita was not eligible to contest the election due to completing two consecutive terms, as BFI rules stipulate that an office bearer who has completed two consecutive terms must take a mandatory break.
Pon Bhasakaran of Tamil Nadu was elected as the treasurer. With this new leadership, the administrative work of the BFI is expected to get a new direction. Although the election results have been announced, their future will still depend on the decision of the Delhi High Court. Several state units had challenged the constitutional amendments made by the BFI's interim committee.
This was the reason why the elections were initially scheduled to be held on March 28, but were repeatedly postponed due to legal hurdles and petitions. It will now be interesting to see how the court's final decision affects the validity of these elections.
