Former boxer Manoj Kumar raises concerns over BFI selection process

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manoj Kumar has raised concerns over the transparency of the Boxing Federation of India’s (BFI) new athlete assessment system for selecting boxers for upcoming international events, including the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

The national selection camp resumed on Wednesday after the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) reverted to a trial-based selection process following a directive from the Sports Authority of India to make the assessment system more transparent and fair.

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Reacting to the federation’s latest notification, Manoj questioned why former boxers and decorated athletes were not included in the monitoring or assessment process.

“The entire selection process has been kept strictly limited to the head coach, judges, and the federation. Why were former Arjuna Awardees, Dronacharya awardees, Olympians, and senior players not included as observers or selection monitors?” Manoj Kumar wrote on social media.

The former boxer also said the involvement of experienced former players would have improved the confidence of athletes in the process. “When it comes to the fairness, transparency, and trust of players in the selection process, the presence of experienced players like Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar should certainly have been ensured,” he added.

Earlier, the BFI announced a revised assessment process for elite national campers at the NS NIS Patiala from May 13 to 15. Under the new system, boxers will be evaluated through a five-judge scoring setup involving one head coach and four judges during sparring bouts to improve transparency and fairness.

“Scores shall be announced immediately after the completion of each sparring bout, in line with the procedure followed during boxing competitions,” the notification read.

The federation also clarified that the previous marking system would not be used for the current assessment. BFI had earlier conducted strength and conditioning tests for boxers on Sunday, but those results have now been scrapped.

“The scores obtained earlier in the sports science tests, weight management, health management, and attendance shall stand withdrawn and shall be treated as null and void,” it said.