BFI polls get murkier as Thakur's name scrapped from electoral college

The way things stand at the moment, another National Sports Federation seems to be heading towards a stalemate.

- Indraneel Das

It looks like a full-blown battle in Boxing Federation of India between two factions as elections loom. In a dramatic turn of events, former sports minister Anurag Thakur's name was scrapped from the Electoral College list signed by Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh on Wednesday. This was a day after the Thakur faction hosted an informal get-together where current and former top sports administrators of the country were present. Hours later, BFI secretary general Hemanta Kalita brought out a list that included Anurag Thakur's name. The deletion of the name from the electoral rolls will give a new twist to the BFI election, as Thakur was expected to contest for the president's post. The election is on March 28. If Ajay Singh, who is also running for a third term, manages to keep Thakur out, it will be considered a major victory for his faction. Though some lauded his efforts, it needs to be seen how it pans out.