Indian boxers eventually got a reason to celebrate on Saturday with the International Boxing Federation (AIBA) willing to ensure them in participating in the events and returning back to action, but under the world body's flag.
A crucial tele-conference on February 19 between India's International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Randhir Singh and AIBA president Wu Ching-Kuo resulted in the AIBA quashing its January directive which had asked all the boxers and coaches to keep away from international competitions until the impasse surrounding the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) was resolved.
The latest decision comes as a major breakthrough during the current situation offering a major relief to the Indian pugilists. It is already learnt that were refrained from active boxing competitions because of the restrictions imposed upon them. It now appears to be a welcome relief to them after a hard fought victory.
Randhir had made it clear that Indian boxers could not be penalized for what AIBA perceived as IABF's wrongdoings and had requested Wu to facilitate their return. AIBA had suspended IABF in December, citing "possible manipulation" in the Indian body's elections held in September. As such, the ban on officials being part of Indian delegations to international competitions stays.
In a letter to IABF, AIBA executive director Ho Kim said: "This is to inform you that despite the ongoing suspension of the IABF, the AIBA's EC Bureau took the decision on February 22, 2013 to exceptionally allow Indian boxers and coaches only (no official whatsoever permitted) to participate in AIBA Competitions (approved events) under the AIBA flag.
"This means that your national federation may register boxers and coaches only to the ASBC Youth Boxing Championships due to take place from May 10-16, 2013 in Subic Bay (the Philippines), and to future AIBA competitions.
Please note that you will be requested to provide a proof that the coaches registered are certified coaches."
The AIBA official further said in his letter: "However, the team will of course have to compete under the AIBA flag due to the ongoing suspension of the IABF. The AIBA HQs Office will duly inform the Indian federation and ASBC so that registration procedures may proceed."
Wu also wrote personally to Randhir reiterating AIBA's decision.
Welcoming the decision, IABF vice-president PK Muralidharan Raja told that the boxers did not deserve to be punished at all. "It is not their fault. I commend AIBA for coming up with a positive move.
The boxers have been training at SAI but deep down they knew they wouldn't be participating in any international events. This is the best news for Indian boxing in the last few weeks," he said.
Actually, it was back in 2012 that AIBA slapped provisional suspension on IABF on December 6. In addition to that incident, it was the Sports Ministry as well, which had suspended IABF due to the turnout of the events.
Considering the recent developments, it was only on February 19 that the AIBA verbally agreed to relax the suspension. Eventually, the ban on Indian boxers and coaches was lifted on February 23.
