Thakur files nomination for BFI’s top post

Former Union Minister Anurag Thakur has formally entered the fray to become the next president of the Boxing Federation of India. Thakur, who was the sports minister as well as the information and broadcasting minister

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in the last NDA government, filed his nomination paper on Monday.

He will be fighting against the current BFI president and SpiceJet owner Ajay Singh in the elections that are to be held in Delhi.

Thakur has filed his nomination as representative of the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association despite the fact that he is not an elected executive committee member in the state body.

Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Vijender Singh, who was also hopeful of contesting the elections, said as an athlete he is opposed to the idea of politicians who are not connected to the sport throwing their hat in sports federation elections.

“I am not targeting anyone and he is a personal friend but I do not like the idea of politicians running federations. It is my personal opinion that athletes should run the sports bodies as they are the only ones who can do justice to fellow athletes,” Vijender told The Tribune on Monday.

“Also, I do not think it is allowed in sports code. I also tried to fight the elections but I was told I need to be part of the state executive to be able to fight the election and that is why I could not file my nomination. And then suddenly someone comes out of the blue and it is not right. I do not think he knows the sport well, he may know a few sports but not our sport,” he added.

Interestingly, Vijender is a party member of the BJP, with Thakur being the sitting MP from Hamirpur.

The Indian Olympic Association had appointed an ad hoc committee to run the sport after the BFI failed to hold the elections despite the last elected body’s tenure ending in February.