IBF state units meet in ‘informal conclave’, to approach AIBA

More than half of the suspended Indian Boxing Federation’s state units met in an informal conclave here on Sunday and decided to write to the international body, seeking the appointment of an interim committee to run the sport in the country, besides conducting a “free and fair” re-election. “Nineteen state units (out of a total of 33, leaving aside Railways and Services) were in attendance today despite being threatened. It was in no way a revolt, it was just a gathering to try and find solutions to a problem that has been there for more than a year,” West Bengal Boxing Association chief Asit Banerjee, acting as the spokesperson of the state bodies, said after the meeting. “We have decided to write to the International Boxing Association (Aiba), wherein we will request them to form an interim committee to run the sport. “We also want free and fair elections at a neutral venue where nobody votes under threat and there should be an Aiba representative to oversee the process. This meeting was a friendly conclave and it was not meant to cause any insecurity,” he said.