With just two weeks to go for the much-delayed Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections, scheduled for August 21, BFI President Ajay Singh and suspended Secretary General Hemanta Kumar Kalita have put their differences behind them. In a significant development on Tuesday, Singh announced the interim committee’s decision to revoke Kalita’s suspension, marking a moment of unity ahead of the crucial polls.
Acknowledging Kalita’s efforts in uplifting the sport during their eight-year tenure so far, Singh, who is seeking a third term as BFI president, said the rift between him and Kalita had stemmed from a “misunderstanding” and expressed a desire to move forward with a united front.
“Hemanta Kalita has been a valuable member of the boxing fraternity, and has been closely associated with me over the past eight years. In the past few months, some issues came up due to certain misunderstandings, and as directed by the government, there were investigations on him. While he couldn’t take part in the investigation process earlier, he’s fully cooperating now. And as such, the interim committee decided to revoke the suspension,” Singh told The Statesman.
He added that the interim committee had also decided to lift the ban on the Nagaland boxing unit.
“Both are valuable assets of our boxing fraternity, and the decision will enable both Kalita and the Nagaland unit, to serve Indian boxing from here on,” he added.
Relations between Singh and Kalita took a hit earlier this year in March when elections were first announced and Kalita expressed interest icontesting the top post. He was later disqualified on grounds of a “mandatory cooling-off period required after serving two consecutive four-year terms as an office bearer.” Later, Kalita went on to support the candidacy of former sports minister Anurag Thakur.
Subsequently, Kalita was suspended following an investigation that found him guilty of “financial irregularities.” BFI treasurer Digvijay Singh was also suspended on similar charges after a probe led by former Delhi High Court judge Sudhir Kumar Jain.
Welcoming the decision to lift his suspension, Kalita said he remains committed to the growth of the sport, even though he is ineligible to run in the upcoming elections.
“I express my gratitude to the interim committee and Ajay Singh for revoking the suspension, which will enable me to work harder for the sport, and the athletes. As a former athlete, I have always ensured that our boxers get the best facilities and exposure tournaments, even at the grassroots level, and the recent performances by our boxers at the international level are a result of the years of hard work put by the federation,” Kalita said.
A member of the Finance and Audit Committee (F&A) of World Boxing, Kalita also revealed that Assam could soon host a World Championship, possibly as early as next year.
Meanwhile, the last time, the elections were announced after multiple legal battles, a four-cornered fight for the top post was on the cards. Singh, however, doesn’t foresee a big battle this time around, even as he’s up for another stiff challenge.
“I feel that Indian boxing by and large is united and I don’t really foresee a big battle, but its democracy, everybody is free to contest,” Singh said.