Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President P T Usha has formed a fact-finding committee to examine the reasons behind the prolonged delay in the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections, even as the BFI’s Interim Committee on Sunday assured that the long-pending polls would be held by the August 31 deadline.
The three-member Fact-Finding Committee, set up on Friday, is tasked with recommending a clear roadmap to ensure “fair and timely” elections. The panel will be headed by IOA Treasurer Sahdev Yadav, with IOA Executive Council member Bhupender Singh Bajwa and Advocate Payal Kakra as its other members.
“The term of the current Executive Committee of the BFI ended on February 2 and fresh elections have not been conducted since,” Usha said in an IOA office order dated July 11.
According to the order, the committee will assess the “current legal and administrative status of the BFI and implications of the delay on the governance and functioning of boxing in India.”
It will also recommend actions, including engagement with World Boxing, and suggest a detailed plan to hold the elections fairly and promptly.
The panel has been asked to submit its report within a week “so that the factual position can be presented to World Boxing.”
The move follows a letter from the Sports Ministry on July 5 asking Usha to “devise a mechanism providing a suitable way forward in consultation with World Boxing to ensure elections are held at the earliest in accordance with the National Sports Code, 2011 and BFI’s bye-laws.”
Usha had also met World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst in Lausanne last month.
The tenure of the last BFI office-bearers expired on February 2. Elections, originally planned for March 28, have since been caught in a legal tussle, with appeals and counter-appeals stalling the process.
To maintain administrative continuity and oversee domestic and international competitions, World Boxing installed a six-member Interim Committee headed by Ajay Singh on April 7 with an initial 90-day mandate.
The global body recently extended the committee’s tenure, directing it to complete the election process by August 31.
Interestingly, while Usha has announced the fact-finding committee, she has yet to nominate the final member of the BFI’s Interim Committee.
Meanwhile, BFI Executive Director Arun Malik, who is also on the Interim Committee, said in a statement on Sunday that the panel is “fully committed to delivering free and fair polls within the given timeline.”
“It is important to reaffirm that the autonomy of the National Federation is governed by the framework laid down by the World Body,” Malik added.
Responding to the IOA’s move, Malik said the BFI election process remains “transparent, accountable, and well-documented.”
He noted that “all key action points and developments have been formally communicated to both the IOA and the Ministry, ensuring complete institutional clarity.”
The BFI has faced internal divisions and factionalism ahead of the elections. Former Delhi High Court judge R K Gauba, who was serving as Returning Officer, resigned alleging a smear campaign against him.
Former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur is expected to contest the President’s post against the current incumbent Ajay Singh.
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