CHENNAI: SPORTS elections in the country are turning out to be big controversies. More so in recent times, especially after the Table Tennis Federation of India (2021-22), the All India Football Federation, the Indian Olympic Association’s court battles and subsequent elections. The final outcome was a landmark judgment in the case between Rahul Mehra vs Union of India and others: the Delhi High Court order of 16.08.2022 of Najmi Waziri and Manmohan. The National Sports Development Code of India 2011 was supposed to be read along with the 16.08.2022 HC order. Interestingly, Anurag Thakur was the sports minister at that time.
Since then, almost all elections (where disputes arose) landed up in court over violation of the 13 points that were supposed to be followed by the IOA and its National Sports Federations (through various court orders). The sports ministry’s affidavits and replies to the court made things more complicated. There were stays or results withheld by Delhi High Court on elections of federations like tennis, judo, volleyball and rowing over violations of sports code and notably those points mentioned in the 16.08.2022 order.
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) election too seems to be heading towards that direction. Unless both parties come to a compromise, like in the case of All India Chess Federation (AICF) last year. The script seems too familiar. Two factions: the president on one side, the secretary on another, suddenly invoked various sections of the NSDF of India 2011. BFI president Ajay Singh is on one side, the secretary general Hemanta Kalita and treasurer Digvijay Singh are on the other side. There is another faction seemingly with them, the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association that sent the name of Thakur to the BFI for Electoral College.
Two influential figures in the current political landscape are fighting over presidentship of a sports federation. Even in the last BFI election in 2021, a top BJP leader from Maharashtra was contesting against Singh (who is known to be close to the ruling party). This time the fight is against a former sports minister.
The RO of the BFI elections, former Delhi High Court judge RK Gauba, has accepted the Electoral College signed by Singh after a hearing on the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association issue late on Thursday. Gauba ruled against the DABA’s nominations. He, however, did not mention Thakur in the order. There is one reference (Point 12) to an audience with the secretary and the treasurer and vice president (north) but the subject was not disclosed. There were detailed hearings on 12.02.2025 and 13.02.2025 for two hours each “in which all concerned participated”.