Dubai: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief P T Usha on Tuesday defended her decision to appoint an ad-hoc committee for boxing,
saying the national federation failed to fulfil its “fundamental responsibilities” in the
last one year and her action was necessary to “restore order and ensure proper governance”.
Her statement came in response to IOA vice-president Gagan Narang’s letter on February 28 in which the former Olympics bronze winner accused her of issuing “arbitrary” orders and undermining athletes’ welfare.
Usha’s steadfast position is despite the Delhi High Court’s stay on the IOA’s order. The court issued notice, seeking IOA’s response to a petition filed by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).
“...there is no truth in your (Narang) assertion that athletes are suffering due to
this decision or any alleged arbitrary actions on my
part. The decision to appoint an ad-hoc Committee was not arbitrary but a necessary
step to restore order, ensure proper governance, and
prioritize athlete development,” Usha said in her reply to Narang, who is also a member of the IOA’s Executive Council. “The unfortunate reality is that BFI has
failed in fulfilling its fundamental responsibilities, including conducting national championships in the last year. With the 2026 Asian Games fast approaching, there has been little to no effort to identify fresh talent, select promising boxers, and implement structured training programs to enhance India’s medal prospects.”
Usha, who has been at loggerheads with the Executive Council members.