Boxers move court over selection for Worlds
Just days before the start of the women’s world championships here, three elite boxers have moved Delhi High Court against the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) for being excluded from the 12-member India squad.
Manju Rani (48kg), Shiksha Narwal (54kg) and Poonam Poonia (60) — all three reigning national champions in their respective weight categories — had written to BFI last week over their non-selection in the squad as they felt the selection process was unfair.
Though there were no selection trials held this time to pick the squad, BFI has chosen the team based on an “evaluation process” during the three-week camp, where boxers were ranked according to their performance in training after considering various aspects, including sparring sessions, technical and tactical ability, international results and improvement shown during the period.
The new selection policy was put out by BFI on its website. Coaches at the national camp said the boxers were informed that there will be no trials for the world championships and they will be ranked every week based on which the squad will be chosen.
However, in the writ petition filed by the three boxers through their counsel Sandeep Lamba, they have claimed that there were “all kinds of malpractices” in the process of selection. They have also demanded a “fair investigation is required” into the matter.
They said nine of the 12 weight categories had been directly selected, and national champions have been picked. “Except for the weight categories of the Petitioners all the other gold medallists were directly selected for the
women’s world boxing championship,” as per the petition. “It is important to inform that initially, the boxing federation assured the petitioners of recommending their names in the women’s world boxing championship. The petitioners were surprised by the post on the official Instagram page of the Boxing Federation of India when they saw that they were not in the picture for the world championship,” as per the petition.
The matter has been listed for hearing on Tuesday. In 48kg, Nitu Ghanghas, who won gold at the CWG has been selected. “Nitu played in 50 kg in Haryana State Championship last year, where she gave a walkover. She then gave a medical certificate for not playing in the national championship,” as per the petition.
However, according to the team management, Nitu was chosen for the national camp because she is a CWG champion. Two-time world youth champion Nitu had defeated Manju in the 2021 national championships to win her maiden title in 48kg. She also defeated Manju in the trials for the CWG though it was a close fight. Manju has since made a good comeback and regained the national title.
In 54kg, Preeti, the Asian Championships bronze medallist, was selected ahead of Shiksha, the twotime national champion. Shiksha said she had defeated Preeti 4-1 at the national championship in Bhopal and deserved a place in the squad.
In 60kg CWG bronze medallist, Jasmine Lamboria was selected, while Poonam, the 2021 youth world champion, won the national title last year where Jasmine did not compete.
There will be a lot at stake for the boxers at the worlds as BFI has announced the winners will get direct selection into the Asian Games which is a qualification tournament for the Paris Olympics.
In 2021, Arundhati Choudhary had also gone to court against BFI for selecting Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain into the squad for the world championships without a trial.