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The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) and the central government following a petition by the Delhi Amateur Boxing Federation (DABF), seeking direction to halt the BFI elections slated for August 21.
Justice Mini Pushkarna heard the matter on Thursday and scheduled it for final arguments on August 18. The court also clarified that any elections held before that date would be contingent on the outcome of the writ petition. The petition contests the legitimacy of a circular issued on August 1 by BFI's Interim Committee, which announced the election timeline and introduced revised BFI Rules and Regulations via email. According to the petitioner, these decisions were made without convening the mandatory Annual General Meeting (AGM) and in breach of a previous High Court directive dated March 19. The DABF has urged that the elections be conducted under the existing BFI constitution and overseen by the returning officer who was appointed prior to the dispute. It has also requested a suspension of the August 1 circular's implementation. The petitioners, comprising boxing associations from Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, have accused the Interim Committee of undemocratically enforcing a new constitution, issuing an unauthorised election notice, and replacing the returning officer without impartiality or due procedure. They argue that these actions lack legal foundation and transparency, undermining the integrity of the electoral process and violating the principles of democratic governance in sports. In defence, the BFI's Interim Committee stated through its legal counsel that the new constitution has received support from 30 of the 34 affiliated state associations and has been formally endorsed by World Boxing, the sport's global authority. The counsel further claimed that opposition is limited to four associations allegedly attempting to install unelected individuals, including political figures, into influential roles within the federation. The Sports Ministry, the council stated, has emphasised that no one should be arbitrarily placed in sports administration, regardless of their stature. This legal battle is the latest chapter in a prolonged internal struggle within the BFI, which began after the previous leadership's term ended on February 2, 2025. Elections originally scheduled for March 28 were postponed due to legal disputes and internal divisions. Tensions escalated when the designated Returning Officer, former Delhi High Court judge R.K. Gauba, resigned amid accusations of a defamation campaign. To stabilise the situation, World Boxing appointed an Interim Committee in April 2025 to manage daily affairs and later set an August 31 deadline for conducting fresh elections to restore normalcy within the Federation. (ANI)
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