Selection row leaves 40 boxers in limbo ahead of CWG and Asiad

NEW DELHI: The future of 40 promising boxers now hangs by a thread, due to an administrative bout between the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the sport’s national federation, BFI. As uncertainty deepens, their participation in the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya looks increasingly doubtful.

At the heart of the dispute lies the 2nd Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Cup, held from March 30 to April 5 at the Army Sports Institute (ASI), Pune. The tournament was graced by COAS, General Upendra Dwivedi. The BFI had designated this event as a crucial second pathway for entry into the national coaching camp starting April 2026. According to its selection policy, gold and silver medallists across 20 categories (10 men and 10 women) from the meet will earn eligibility to directly compete in the final selection trials for the CWG and Asiad, scheduled to be held at NIS Patiala from May 11 to 15.

These trials are set to determine India’s boxing contingent for two multisport events, drawing top names such as Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain, Nitu Ghanghas, Hitesh Gulia, Jadumani Singh and Pawan Barthwal, among others. However, a dispute erupted when SAI refused to recognise the COAS Cup, labelling it a “closed-door” event.

According to SAI officials, the tournament was restricted primarily to boxers affiliated with the armed forces or training within Army facilities, thereby violating the principle of open competition. “Such events cannot be considered fair selection pathways,” a SAI source argued, emphasising that athletes who rise through district, state, and national competitions would be unfairly sidelined. “The SAI won’t sanction this event and it’s for the BFI to answer these boxers as to what will happen to their participation in the evaluation test and their future,” the source added.

This decision has severe consequences. Without SAI’s sanction, the 40 medal-winning boxers – including talents like Sanju, Jigyasa, Vaishnavi Waghmare, Chandrika Pujari, and Anamika – are effectively barred from the trials, extinguishing their hopes of representing India this year.

The controversy has escalated through strongly-worded mail exchanges between the two bodies. TOI has copies of all the mails. SAI questioned why the COAS Cup prospectus failed to clearly state its role as a selection event. Meanwhile, BFI defended its stance by arguing that the official calendar of the federation, published in Dec, had already included the COAS Cup as part of the domestic competition structure for the year.

BFI’s executive director, Col Arun Malik stated that the pathway was transparent and previously acknowledged. “If these open, merit-based tournaments are now being termed ‘closed-door,’ it directly undermines a system that has consistently produced world champions. This pathway is clearly defined in the selection criteria 2026, which was formally shared with and acknowledged by SAI in March, and even saw participation from SAI NCOE without a single objection at the time. SAI has been aware since Dec, and raising concerns now is both inconsistent and unjustified,” he told TOI.

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