AIBA to set up ad-hoc committee to evaluate proposals

New Delhi: Inundated with applications from various groups in India, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) today said it will now form an ad-hoc committee to evaluate the proposals for setting up of a new federation in the country.

Without detailing the proposals that it has received so far, AIBA`s Communications Director Sebastian Gillot said the applications would be scrutinised. "The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has received several proposals from different groups but do not wish to communicate on any of those proposals at this stage," Gillot said in response to a PTI questionnaire. "AIBA has set an extensive list of very strict criteria that will be used to evaluate all candidates. An ad-hoc committee is now being set up to evaluate all applications," he added. The world body has received application from, among others, the faction led by former Indian Amateur Boxing Federation Secretary General P K Muralidharan Raja, which has promised to implement AIBA proposals on various issues within six months of taking over. The group, which claims to have the backing of 23 of the 35 state units and Boards, recently submitted a vision document to the AIBA, outlining its vision for Indian boxing over the next five years and beyond. But a final decision on the merits of the various proposals submitted to the world body would be taken in the coming weeks. "The AIBA Executive Committee will make a final decision and rehabilitate a National Federation for boxing in India as soon as it deems that it has found the right group of people who will support the principles of AIBA in terms of ethics and fairness and who care primarily about the boxers and our beloved sport and not about their personal interests," Gillot said. After provisionally suspending the IBF on December 6, 2012, AIBA has not recognised any official activities and did not support the Indian officials for almost 16 months. In its latest missive, AIBA has stated that it was looking to get clean officials in the IBF after fresh elections. The IBF was suspended for "possible manipulation" in elections.