World boxing body urges IOA to recognise Boxing India

PTI LAUSSANE, DECEMBER 23 Calling on the IOA to recognise Boxing India, International Boxing Association (AIBA) president Dr Ching Kuo-Wu has said that refusing affiliation to Boxing India amounts to going against the Olympic Charter. Speaking to sports website 'insidethegame.biz' in Laussane, Dr Wu offered his opinion on the continuing logjam over Boxing India after the IOA refused to grant affiliation to the newly-formed body."The NOC (National Olympic Committee) has nothing to do with the recognition of the National Federation. It is up to the International Federation to recognise the National Federation," Wu said. The IOA has adamantly denied recognition to BI, stating that there have been complaints against the manner in which elections for the body were conducted. However, it has refused to specify the nature of complaints despite repeated requests for recognition from BI. The IOA has maintained that it only recognises the erstwhile Indian Amateur Boxing Federation, which has been terminated by AIBA for manipulation in elections. BI came into existence after fresh polls were conducted in September this year under the supervision of an AIBA observer. "This is nothing to do with the government. It is up to the IF to recognise the National Federation, not the government to recognise it," explained Wu, who is a member of the IOC's Executive Board. Wu said IOA's stand violates Article 29 of the Olympic Charter, which states: "To be recognised by an NOC (National Olympic Committee) and accepted as a member of such NOC, a national federation must exercise a specific, real and on-going sports activity, be affiliated to an IF (International Federation) recognised by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and be governed by and comply in all aspects with both the Olympic Charter and the rules of its IF." The AIBA chief said he has already taken up the matter with IOA chief N Ramachandran during the recent IOC meeting in Monte Carlo. "Nobody can argue against the Olympic Charter because everybody follows that," he said. On its part, BI president Sandeep Jajodia has already stated that IOA's stand has left him baffled.