Now Reading: Sports ministry overrides BFI trial, keeps Kundu in Asian Games team
-
01
Sports ministry overrides BFI trial, keeps Kundu in Asian Games team
Boxer Sumit Kundu has retained his place in India's Asian Games boxing squad in the men's 70kg category, after the sports ministry's final contingent list named him in the 11-member team, overriding…
Boxer Sumit Kundu has retained his place in India's Asian Games boxing squad in the men's 70kg category, after the sports ministry's final contingent list named him in the 11-member team, overriding the Boxing Federation of India's (BFI) closed-door trial held on August 17 at NIS Patiala.
Kundu had lost that trial to Deepak Punia, who was initially promoted to the first-choice slot but has now been relegated to reserve. The trial minutes had included a caveat that if the ministry and the Indian Olympic Association did not accept the revised entries, the boxers who represented India at the Commonwealth Games would keep their Asian Games berths. That clause has now been invoked.
Kapil Pokhariya and Parveen Hooda also retained their places after winning their trials. The boxing contingent is scheduled to leave for a pre-Games training camp in Japan on September 4.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The ministry's move effectively strips the BFI of authority over final team selection, a power that formally rests with the government under the Sports Code. The Code says the national federation recommends the team but the ministry approves it, and this is not the first time the two have clashed: a similar override happened before the 2022 CWG over wrestler Bajrang Punia's inclusion. The immediate loser is Deepak Punia, who won the trial but is now a reserve, while Kundu faces his third weight cut in months, raising questions about his fitness for competition. The BFI's next step will be critical: if it challenges the decision publicly, the dispute could escalate to the IOA or the Delhi High Court, where previous selection disputes have been settled.
The ministry's decision is likely to face scrutiny from the IOA, which has the authority to accept or reject the revised entries.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
