Vijender's u-turn, open to support any faction

Boxer Vijender Singh today made a u-turn from his stance that he is backing the former IABF secretary-general P K Muralidharan Raja-led faction, saying that whichever group gets the national boxing body's suspension lifted by the AIBA will receive his support.
"I am with every faction. I am supporting Raja, Abhay Singh Chautala (former IABF president) or for that matter Ashok Matoria (present IABF president). I am supporting every group. I am a boxer and my job is boxing. I am not a politician that I would be supporting this group or that group. Whichever faction will help in taking the Indian boxing forward, I am with that group," Vijender told reporters here.

Indian Amateur Boxing Federation's (IABF) suspension has rendered the country's boxers ineligible to compete in any international event. Furious with the current logjam in the IABF, the International Boxing Association had terminated the body from its fold stating that the current set of office-bearers are "damaging the image, reputation and interest" of the sport.
The rebel faction, led by Brigadier (Retd) Raja and West Bengal Boxing Association chief Asit Banerjee in the terminated IABF, had claimed that Olympic and World Championships bronze-medallist Vijender had agreed to be on the athletes commission.
The group, which claims to have the backing of 23 of the 35 state units on board, has already approached AIBA with a vision document to take the Indian boxing forward in a transparent way after the world body sought applications from "any group of people with passion and love for our sport to submit applications for the establishment of a new National Federation".

Vijender had himself said that he decided to come on board as he felt the group led by Raja-Banerjee has proven credentials. Raja was the Secretary General till 2012.