Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh on Wednesday assured that the BFI will cover all expenses for players affected by “state-level politics”, ensuring they can compete in the national championships “without hindrance”.
He also condemned state associations for blocking player entries into the Senior Nationals for political reasons.
“If any state federation is stopping their boxers or cancelling their tickets or arrangements, the Boxing Federation of India and I personally will pay for each one of those boxers to come and participate in the Nationals,” Singh declared. “We will provide them the tickets, the hotels, and whatever else is required. Helpline numbers (7003191553, 9050080068) will be available to them. Boxers can call this number, and we will make the arrangements for them,” Singh told the media in a press conference.
The upcoming Elite Women’s Senior National Boxing Championships, scheduled for March 21-27 in Greater Noida, has been overshadowed by internal politics within the BFI.
With elections looming, the event has become a focal point of contention, particularly following the suspension of general secretary Hemanta Kumar Kalita and treasurer Digvijay Singh, Sportstar reports.
Per BFI, the suspensions resulted from an investigation led by Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, which found both officials guilty of corruption and abuse of power for personal gain.
Singh, addressing the media, emphasized that these disciplinary actions were necessary to “uphold the federation’s integrity”. He refuted claims that the suspensions were politically motivated, asserting that they were based on the findings of the independent inquiry and aligned with the BFI constitution. He stressed his commitment to maintaining the federation’s credibility.
“I must highlight this, especially for my friends from Assam who are present here — their team is being blocked from attending the national championships. In my view, Mr. Kalita and the Federation in Assam are responsible for this obstruction. We cannot ignore the interests of the players themselves. Politics is one thing—everyone has the right to contest elections and have political differences — but preventing athletes from competing in a national championship is a great disservice to the sport. This is something we must all stand against,” Singh said.
Singh dismissed allegations that the suspensions were politically motivated, emphasising that the decision was made per the BFI Constitution. On the basis of that report, I have suspended the secretary general and the treasurer from their current responsibilities, and it is with the deepest regret that we need to take those actions to restore or maintain the credibility of the federation that I happen to be president of at this point in time,” he said.
Singh also highlighted his tenure’s successes, noting that under his leadership, India has hosted three world championships and two IBA Congresses, elevating the country’s boxing ranking from 44th to 4th in the world. He also pointed to the substantial rise in funding for Indian boxing, stating that he and his company have contributed over ₹20 crores to the sport. Additionally, he stressed that all 54 international and domestic tournaments held during his tenure have adhered to the highest standards of professionalism, reinforcing India’s reputation as a premier destination for global boxing events.
He pointed to India’s unprecedented success in the Women’s World Championship held in New Delhi, where the country won four gold medals. “We have won a record number of medals in all forms of championships. In the last Women’s World Championship, India won four gold medals, which is something we have never done before,” he said, adding that his dedication to the sport is driven “purely by a desire to grow Indian boxing, not personal gain”.
