New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) A day after the Sports Authority of India (SAI) suspended Boxing Federation of India’s assessment camp over alleged irregularities, signs of a resolution emerged after talks between the two sides in which the BFI “agreed to rework the selection criteria”.
The is camp likely to resume once the BFI provides a written assurance that the selection process the bout results will not be held back for until after meetings between the coaches and the federation high performance staff.
It is learnt that women’s head coach Santiago Nieva and men’s head coach CA Kuttappa met SAI officials on Monday, during which the federation was asked to strictly adhere to principles of fair-play.
“Nobody was against the assessment camp but the BFI cannot ignore principles of fair play. They are now being made to adhere to those principles and they have promised to comply. A written commitment is still awaited,” a SAI source told PTI.
If the BFI provides the written assurance, the assessment process could resume as early as Wednesday.
According to sources, the coaches assured SAI that the controversial practice of withholding bout results for internal review would be discontinued.
Instead, results will now be declared immediately to avoid allegations of bias.
SAI had suspended the assessment camp on Sunday after receiving multiple complaints from boxers regarding the proposed format of the selection process.
Under the original system, bout outcomes were to be examined by the BFI’s High Performance Unit (HPU) and the selection committee before final decisions on selections were taken which SAI said was contrary to established norms of transparency and fair play.
The assessment camp was meant to finalise India’s remaining boxing slots for the Commonwealth Games to be held in July-August in Glasgow and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September-October.
The assessment-based selection process, which replaced conventional selection trials, has long remained under scrutiny, with several boxers raising concerns over alleged bias and lack of transparency.
However, the BFI has continued with the process.
Manoj flags mental pressure in Indian boxing ============================= Former Commonwealth Games champion Manoj Kumar has written to Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya raising concerns over the BFI’s selection policy.
In the letter, Manoj alleged that the growing dependence on “assessments” and camp-based selection processes within the federation had created insecurity among athletes.
“In the past, the selection process used to be far more open and impartial. An independent panel comprising Arjuna Awardees and veteran athletes would be constituted; trials were conducted over several days in the presence of all stakeholders, and athletes were accorded every opportunity to demonstrate their talent,” Manoj wrote.
“Today, under the guise of the selection process, the mental pressure on athletes is mounting, and numerous disputes regarding selections have escalated to the courts.” He further claimed that even when athletes are granted trials, their parents and personal coaches are often not allowed to observe the proceedings, raising “serious questions regarding both transparency and fairness.” Manoj said athletes in national camps are functioning under intense psychological pressure and are often reluctant to voice concerns for fear of being removed from camps.
The former boxer also questioned the appointment process for coaches in national camps, alleging that despite applications being invited from across the country, the same group of individuals continued to be repeatedly selected across categories. PTI PM/APA PM APA PM PM
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