Now a coordination committee for boxing, All India meet in Goa

SAI formed a coordination committee to to pick probables for next year's Asian Olympic Qualifiers.

New Delhi: To put an end to the infighting in Indian boxing fraternity, SAI and the ad-hoc committee governing the sport in the country have formed a coordination committee to conduct domestic events starting with an All India meet to pick probables for next year's Asian Olympic Qualifiers.

The coordination committee is headed veteran administrator Asit Banerjee and has eight zonal representatives.

The committee's first task would be to conduct an All India Men's Tournament -- planned from November 16 to 21 in Goa -- to pick the probables for Asian Olympic Qualifiers to be held in China in March.

The tournament has been given the go ahead by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) as the proposal went through the ad-hoc committee.

"This coordination committee has been formed to ensure that there is no indiscipline and every process is streamlined. The first step towards this is the All India meet where we are expecting 210 boxers from 19 teams -- 16 teams from zonal SAI centres and three units (Services Sports Control Board, Railways Sports Promotion Board and All India Police)," Banerjee told PTI.

The tournament will be held in Pedem in North Goa. Banerjee said the tournament will be followed by a similar meet for women in December to be held in Bhopal.

"SAI will provide its facilities to conduct the tournament. The logistics are on SAI. The ad-hoc committee will provide the ring officials and other technical staff," he said.

"This coordination committee will henceforth be responsible for the conduct of domestic tournaments. The ad-hoc committee will take care of international tournaments. This will ensure that there is no indiscipline as all proposals will go through the ad-hoc committee," he said.