IOA sets up ad-hoc committee for Indian boxing

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Thursday formed an ad-hoc committee to run the affairs of Indian boxing, replacing the de-recognised Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF), till a new body is put in place.

The decision was taken at the first executive council meeting of the IOA that was chaired by newly elected president N. Ramachandran ever since the 14-month suspension of the IOA was lifted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in February.

Ramachandran said the ad-hoc committee, which will be headed by Tarlochan Singh, an IOA vice-president, has been recognised by the International Boxing Federation (AIBA). The IABF has been derecognised by both the AIBA and the sports ministry.

"In our first executive council meeting, we have decided to form an ad-hoc committee that will run the affairs of Indian boxing till a new body is elected," said Ramachandran.

"The six-member committee will be headed by Tarlochan Singh, who has years of experience in Olympic movement. National boxing coach, G.S. Sandhu and India's representative at the AIBA Kishan Narsi are also in the committee," he added.

"AIBA has approved the committee and it will be handling all issues of coaching, selection, etc. We do not want the boxers to suffer in this crucial year when we have the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, and hence we have formed this committee," he said.

Asked who will fund the Indian boxers, Ramachandran said they would be funded by the sports ministry directly, as is the case with archers, but if not, then the IOA will try to help them out.

"The boxers have to be funded by the government but if they are not, then we will try to help them out. Any athlete who aspires to go abroad and train, the government funds him/her," he said.

Ramachandran said the IOA will recognise the IABF after it gets the official sanction from the AIBA.

"Whenever IABF forms a body, it will apply to the IOA for recognition and as per the Olympic Charter, we will have to give recognition. But that is some time away. AIBA's recognition has to come first," he explained.

Ramachandran also said he had a fruitful meetings with IOC president Thomas Bach at Lausanne and also had a tete-a-tete with Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah Al-Fahad in Kuwait.

"We discussed the basic things of transparency, accountability and most importantly, the athletes must come first. That's the mantra of this Indian Olympic Association," Ramachandran said.

Regarding concerns about athletes' complaints about not getting proper food supplements for the Commonwealth Games, Ramachandran said that individual federations will have to take this responsibility but if athletes bring it to the notice of the IOA, then it will take it up.

"But as of date, no athlete has come to the IOA and has clearly stated in writing anything like this," he said.

Ramachandran also said that a delegation from the Organising Committee of the National Games (Kerala) led by V.M. Gopala, IAS (Secretary - Sports & Transport), government of Kerala, also gave a presentation on the status of preparedness.

The IOA president agreed the National Games have become a joke with repeated postponements, and warned that the state associations will have to face the consequences if they fail in future.