SPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA MULLS LEGAL OPTIONS AGAINST AIBA OVER BOXER'S SUSPENSION
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 23 Oct 2014
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is mulling legal options against the international governing body for amateur boxing AIBA following its decision to suspend female boxer Sarita Devi for refusing to accept the bronze medal at the recent Incheon Asian Games.
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) provisionally suspended Sarita Devi for refusing to accept the bronze medal and also barred her from competing in the World Championships that will be held next month at the Jeju Islands in South Korea.
Along with Sarita, boxing coaches Gurbax Singh Sandhu, BI Fernandez, Sagar Mal Dayal and India?s chef de mission for the Asian Games Adille Sumariwalla were also slapped with provisional suspensions by the AIBA.
Until the suspension is formally lifted, they will not be allowed to ?compete in or attend any AIBA competition, events and meetings.?
The AIBA said ?This case has been sent for review by the AIBA Disciplinary Commission, and it means that Mrs Laisham Sharita Devi the above mentioned coaches as well as Mr Adille H. Sumariwalla will not be allowed to participate in the AIBA Women?s World Boxing
Championships Jeju 2014.?
The Indian Express newspaper reported that the legal options are being studied in case the SAI decides to elevate the controversy to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
While the Indian Olympic Association continued to maintain its silence over the issue, Sports secretary Ajit Sharan has condemned AIBA?s decision to suspend India's chef de mission Adille Sumariwalla claiming AIBA had no jurisdiction.
Sharan said ?Adille Sumariwalla was the chef de mission and the Asian Games is an event organized by the OCA. So the AIBA can technically not take action against him. We will take up the issue via diplomatic channels and ensure no one, including Sarita and her coaches are suspended.
Sarita had refused to accept her bronze medal after she badly beat South Korea?s Park Ji-na in the semifinals of the 57-60kg category only to be stunned when the judges scored the fight for the hometown girl and instead of accepting her bronze medal she draped it around Ji-na?s neck and broke down and cried.
The protest over the bum decision was one of many that marred the Incheon Asian Games with the Philippines, Mongolia, Thailand and China among the countries who complained about the poor officiating.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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