BI ousts president Jajodia, latter says meeting illegal

New Delhi, May 3 

The administrative turmoil in Indian boxing took a new turn as Boxing India president Sandeep Jajodia was ousted after an overwhelming vote against him in the no-confidence motion brought in at a Special General Meeting here today, a move which was termed "illegal" by the incumbent.

Jajodia lost the motion 2-55 after 57 of the 64 general body members gathered here in a meeting he did not attend. "The house was more or less united on this. We had given him enough time to show what he could do but the recent happenings, including an ugly spat with Jay Kowli (BI secretary general who resigned last night), showed that we were mistaken in placing our faith in him," said West Bengal representative Asit Banerjee.

"The way forward now is that we will have an interim head to carry out the day-to-day routines and fresh elections will be conducted in the 45 to 60 days. We will be writing to the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in a day or two and due procedure will be followed," he added. Current vice-president Miren Paul is expected to be the consensus candidate for being the interim head.

Jajodia, on his part, issued a statement to say that the meeting itself was illegal.  "...this Special General Meeting which is sought to be held on 3rd of May, 2015, stands illegal and void. In the event you still go ahead with any such meeting, you would do so at your own risks and responsibility," he said, asserting that the states "automatically stand disqualified as members" owing to their participation in the IOA-conducted National Games.

The former president of the erstwhile Indian Amateur Boxing Federation's (IABF), Abhay Chautala, said the current leadership has failed in living up to the faith reposed in it. — PTI