Coaches depose before BFI panel on Vikas’ Asian forfeiture

NEW DELHI: The disciplinary hearing into boxer Vikas Krishan’s forfeiture of his Asian Championship semifinal bout continued on Sunday with the national coaches deposing before the inquiry committee.

A day after Vikas gave his version, chief coaches Shiv Singh and S R Singh, along with assistant coach Narender Rana, gave their account of the circumstances leading to the forfeiture in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The disciplinary panel, which is headed by veteran administrator Asit Banerjee, will now meet on May 30 and 31 for depositions from officials.

“The coaches presented their versions and perspective on the incident. Now the panel will meet on May 30 and 31 and record statements of the officials who were with the team,” Banerjee said.

Even Vikas could be called again if the panel finds conflicting versions of what happened.

The middleweight boxer, who was the top seed in the Asian meet, had given a walkover in the semifinal against Korean Lee Dongyun earlier this month. The reasons for his decision have not yet been officially revealed.

It is learnt that the boxer, who had a World Series of Boxing (WSB) bout on May 11 in Paris, got caught up in a confusion over his travel plans, which led to his decision to forfeit the Asian Championship bout. Subsequently, he was not allowed to compete in the WSB bout either.

The team officials, who will appear before the committee include Boxing Federation of India Secretary General Jay Kowli and team doctor Nir- molak Singh among others.

A BFI source said that the entire incident seems to be a result of “communication gap” and “lack of technical knowledge”.

“The boxer and the officials should have handled it better, there was definitely a communication gap,” he said.

When asked about the incident, Banerjee, on his part, said, “This has never happened and should not happen again. I cannot say as of now who is to be blamed.”

Vikas is among the most decorated boxers in India. A two-time Olympian, he became the first Indian to be adjudged the best boxer by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) at its annual gala last year.

The 24-year-old is also a former World Championships bronze-medallist and an Asian Games gold-winner.

A day after Vikas gave his version, chief coaches Shiv Singh and S R Singh, along with assistant coach Narender Rana, gave their account of the circumstances leading to the forfeiture in Tashkent, Uzbekistan