New Delhi: It has come to light that former Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur is expected to contest for the presidency of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) in the upcoming elections.

On Monday, the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) submitted Thakur's name as one of its two delegates to participate in the Annual General Meeting and to be included in the electoral college for the federation's elections scheduled for March 28.

“We have nominated Anurag Thakur ji and president Rajesh Bhandari as our representatives for the AGM,” stated HPBA Secretary SK Shandil in an interview with HT. When inquired about Thakur's potential candidacy for the presidency, he remarked, “We have to wait and see.”

Thakur, a Member of Parliament from the BJP and a former president of the cricket board, is a member of the executive board of the Himachal boxing organization, as noted by Shandil. “He has had a long-standing association with HPBA, having served in various roles,” he added.

Additionally, two senior officials from the BFI confirmed that Thakur intends to run for the presidential position. “His name has been submitted by HPBA for the electoral college. When an individual of his prominence is representing the state, it strongly suggests that he will be filing his nomination for the BFI presidency,” a senior federation official familiar with the situation informed HT.

A BFI official indicated that Thakur's name has been a topic of discussion among state units in recent days. "We are cognizant of the current circumstances. He has expressed a desire to assume the role of BFI president, and there is considerable support for him from various BFI units. Given the turmoil in boxing at present, we require a competent administrator to steer the sport back on course," remarked a state representative holding a senior position within the national boxing organization.

Ajay Singh, the BFI president chairman and managing director of SpiceJet, has completed two terms leading the federation and is reportedly seeking a third term, according to sources close to him. "He has made significant contributions to the sport during his tenure. He initiated the process to align India with World Boxing, which has received provisional recognition from the IOC," stated another official from BFI.

Recently, PT Usha, president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), appointed an ad hoc committee to oversee boxing operations, citing the federation's delays in conducting elections. Singh's term concluded in early February, after which the BFI sought intervention from the Delhi High Court to stay the IOA's directive.

On March 4, BFI Secretary General Hemanta Kumar Kalita issued a notice for elections scheduled for March 28, requesting state units to submit the names of their representatives by Monday at 6:00 PM. On March 7, BFI announced the appointment of former Delhi High Court judge, Justice RK Gauba, as the returning officer.

It has come to light that some BFI members have raised concerns regarding the election notice, claiming it was incomplete. "The notification should include a comprehensive timeline with dates for nominations and other relevant details. This information has yet to be provided, which raises several questions," commented a BFI official.

An office order issued by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) on March 7 has stated that only bona fide and duly elected members from the state units affiliated with the BFI, as notified during the election Annual General Meeting (AGM), are permitted to represent their respective States or Union Territories. This directive has faced objections from several state units, including Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, which argue that it constitutes an interference in the internal affairs of the state units.

The Himachal Pradesh Basketball Association (HPBA) contends that this provision unlawfully limits the autonomy of state units in selecting their representatives. 

In a letter addressed to Ajay Singh, HPBA president Rajesh Bhandari emphasized that the communication imposes an arbitrary requirement that representatives must be elected at an AGM. He pointed out that under the current BFI regulations, each state unit has the authority to nominate representatives according to its internal governance structure and urged for the withdrawal of the notification.

A similar concern was expressed by Digvijay Singh, the treasurer of BFI and secretary of the Madhya Pradesh unit, who is expected to run for a senior position. He noted that this notification introduces potential legal vulnerabilities and argued that the restriction on their right to nominate representatives in line with BFI’s established rules represents an unjust infringement on their governance framework.

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