IOA brass differ over BFI election

Mumbai: Differences of opinion within the Indian Olympic Association over sending an observer for the elections of the newly formed Boxing Federation of India on September 25 resulted in no one being present at the Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana in Kandivli here, the venue of the elections and AGM. It was learnt through copies of official communication between IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta and president N. Ramachandran that while the former wanted to send an observer, it was vetoed by the latter. Ramachandran sent a mail to Mehta on September 24 saying there was no need to send an observer and the reason he gave was that the IOA needed to “respect the decision taken by the members at the IOA AGM.”