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Ajay Singh ineligible for World Boxing Executive Board elections

The Boxing Federation of India president will still vote at the November 20 Congress in Panama.

By , Sports writer

· 2 min read

Boxing, general photo
Boxing (general photo, not from this event) Photo: nbelokonskaya / Pixabay, Pixabay Content License

BFI President Ajay Singh cannot contest World Boxing's Executive Board elections after his nomination was ruled ineligible on September 1. He will attend the Congress in Panama to vote, while a separate no-confidence move against him faces a High Court hearing on November 13.

Key takeaways

  • Ajay Singh's nomination for World Boxing's Executive Board was deemed ineligible on September 1.
  • The vetting panel cited a rule about candidates under investigation or sanctioned for breaching ethics rules or policies.
  • BFI executive director Colonel Arun Malik said the rejection was on technical grounds not related to boxing.
  • Singh will travel to Panama for the November 20 Congress and will exercise his voting rights.
  • A rival BFI faction led by secretary general Pramod Kumar held a meeting on a no-confidence motion, which Singh challenged.

Boxing Federation of India President Ajay Singh will not stand for World Boxing's Executive Board at its November 20 elections after his candidature was ruled ineligible by the vetting panel on September 1. The determination came under a provision covering candidates who are under investigation or have been sanctioned for breaching the Code of Ethics or any rules and policies, according to PTI as carried by Rediff.

The Bridge reported that BFI executive director Colonel Arun Malik said the rejection was on technical grounds not related to boxing. Singh had filed his nomination for an Executive Board position. World Boxing, formed on 13 April 2023, is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the international governing body for boxing and will sanction boxing at the Summer Olympics beginning in 2028.

{h2:"Why it matters"}

Singh remains the recognised president of the BFI, India's national boxing federation, and will travel to Panama to attend the Congress and cast his vote. His exclusion from the board race comes amid internal strife, with a rival faction of the BFI having gathered in the national capital last week for what was intended to be a Special General Meeting to move a no-confidence motion against him.

{quote:"His candidature was rejected on technical grounds not related to boxing.","cite":"Colonel Arun Malik"}

Singh questioned the legitimacy of the rival meeting, saying unauthorised people sat under state banners and that in some cases journalists, coaches or old bodies that had lost state elections were present. Eight of the 13 BFI executive committee members, including secretary general Pramod Kumar, senior vice-presidents Rajesh Bhandari and Leonardo D'Gama, treasurer Pon Baskaran and joint secretaries Teli Khai and Swapan Banerjee, attended the gathering.

{h2:"What happens next"}

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed Kumar to keep the meeting in abeyance until the next hearing on November 13. Singh said the faction should follow the BFI constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority to requisition a meeting for a no-confidence motion. The World Boxing Congress is scheduled for November 20 in Panama.

World Boxing was founded in 2023 and currently has 182 member federations. It will govern boxing at the Olympics from 2028, making the Executive Board elections significant for the sport's Olympic future.

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