CHENNAI: In a dramatic twist to Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections, former sports minister Anurag Thakur's name has been nominated from the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) as one of the two members of the electoral roll. After much delay, the BFI had called for an Annual General Meeting on March 28 where the elections for the new executive body would be held. According to BFI's notice, March 10 was the last day for sending nominations.
As reported by The New Indian Express, Thakur is now in line to contest for the top post of the BFI. There are issues regarding his membership in the HPBA but after the 16.08.2022 Delhi High Court order, the restrictive clause regarding office-bearer candidature has been removed. A name needs to be nominated by a state unit. It needs to be seen what BFI does regarding Thakur's name. The final roll will be released on Tuesday by the Returning Officer RK Gauba, who's a former high court judge.
Rajesh Bhandari, the president of HPBA, confirmed this development and said that the former sports minister's name was forwarded by the HPBA secretary Surender Kumar Shandil. Bhandari is the second member to be part of the electoral roll. It is understood that an informal meeting has been organised in Delhi by supporters of Thakur on Tuesday and some senior members of the BFI are expected to attend.
Surprisingly, Beijing Olympic medallist Vijender Singh, who was looking to enter the elections, could not find a state to nominate him.
Though he misses out this time, he would be contributing to the sport in some capacity. "Sportspersons should run federations because they know about the sport," he said.
BFI president Ajay Singh is seeking re-election and things could get interesting with Thakur entering the picture. He also has some backing and like the last election, where he had to face a stiff challenge from senior BJP leader Ashish Shelar in 2021, it could be a close race for the top post.
Bhandari, also the former secretary in the boxing federation (IABF and BI), too has a significant hold in the boxing body. It is understood that secretary general, Hemanta Kalita, could also play a key role in the elections.
"We welcome Anurag Thakur to the boxing fraternity," said Bhandari. "His experience in sports administration and acumen will help boxing to attain new heights." Thakur was Indian cricket board (BCCI) secretary and president as well.
What is also interesting is the fact that Thakur was part of the sports ministry until the elections last year. The sports ministry also calls for meetings of National Sports Federation (NSF) officials, including the president and secretary. If Thakur gets elected as the president of the BFI, it will be interesting how the ministry officials interact with him. The post of the secretary will also be up for grabs.