IABF pleads with SAI to stop sending letters to AIBA

New Delhi: With the Sports Authority of India`s letters to AIBA doing "more harm than good", the suspended Indian Boxing Federation has urged SAI to stop the missives, one of which was followed by the ban getting extended to the country`s pugilists.

The Indian Amateur Boxing Federation was suspended by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in December last year due to the IOC`s ban on the Indian Olympic Association and "possible manipulation" in the IABF elections. But the AIBA had exempted the country`s boxers from the suspension initially. However, the situation changed dramatically when SAI wrote a letter to AIBA seeking clarification on the matter. AIBA extended the ban on the boxers last month. "It is creating confusion, in fact trouble for us. India is right now suspended and trying to bypass AIBA in such a situation is not a smart move at all," an IABF source told PTI. But the snub did not deter SAI. In its efforts to ensure Indian boxers` participation in a junior women`s event in Hungary, SAI got directly in touch with local organisers bypassing AIBA. The Hungarian officials wrote to AIBA seeking clarification, which left the world body fuming. It warned India that such moves would only make it worse for the country. A rattled IABF has now pleaded with SAI to desist from getting in touch with AIBA directly. "It was silly to approach Hungary directly, it only angered AIBA more and it is pretty understandable. You cannot bypass the governing body. There is no need for such communication," he said. "We have written to SAI asking them to stop these letters, they are doing more harm than any good. We request them not to complicate matters," he added. "This suspension is hurting us badly now because the boxers are right now aimless. We are trying to do everything in our capacity to convince AIBA," the source said. The IABF would adopt a similar approach to get the suspension imposed by the Sports Ministry revoked. "It`s the same thing, if we manage to convince the Ministry then we don`t have to hold re-elections." The world body had allowed the boxers and coaches to compete in international events initially but that concession was taken back last month. "If the AIBA insists on re-elections, it would take a while before eveything is resolved. We are trying to establish a channel of communication so that they can be convinced about last year`s elections," the source said. In the new draft constitution prepared by the IABF, rules and provisions of the AIBA Professional Boxing and the World Series of Boxing have also been incorporated, as suggested by the world body. "Getting the constitution approved should not be a problem because it follows the AIBA statute completely," said the official. PTI