New Delhi: A senior Navy officer has raised concerns over the selection process of India’s boxing squad for the upcoming Asian Boxing Championships, questioning the inclusion of an Army boxer over a Navy counterpart in the 70-kg category.
The issue has sparked a debate over transparency and fairness in team selection, with the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) defending its process amid allegations of bias.
Navy questions selection decision
The controversy centres around the omission of Navy boxer Hitesh Gulia, who lost his spot in the squad to Army boxer Deepak. The 10-member team for the championships, scheduled from March 28 to April 11 in Ulaanbaatar, includes nine Army boxers and one civilian.
In a letter to Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, a Vice Admiral responsible for personnel matters flagged what he described as a “conflict of interest” within the selection panel. He alleged that members from the same organisation whose athletes were under consideration were part of the decision-making process, raising concerns about neutrality.
Performance record cited
The Navy officer highlighted Gulia’s recent performances, stating that he had defeated Deepak in both the Inter-Services Championship last year and the 2026 National Championships.
The letter argued that despite these results and a stronger international medal record, Gulia was overlooked, prompting questions about the criteria used in finalising the squad.
Additionally, the officer pointed out issues such as the absence of open selection trials and the non-availability of bout recordings for independent review.
BFI denies allegations
Responding to the claims, BFI Executive Director Colonel Arun Malik rejected the allegations of bias. He clarified that the selection committee did not include Army representatives, apart from men’s head coach CA Kuttappa, who he noted had retired from service years ago.
Malik defended the selection process, stating that the decision was based on overall performance during assessment camps, including sparring sessions.
“There is no question of favouritism. Deepak outperformed others during the evaluation,” he said, adding that the federation’s priority is to select the best possible athletes.
Dispute over selection criteria
The BFI also addressed concerns about video recordings, stating that all matches were recorded and shared with the Sports Authority of India, though it is not standard practice to provide these to individual athletes or teams.
The federation further clarified that sparring sessions conducted during assessments are not competitive bouts but part of a broader evaluation framework that considers multiple performance parameters.
Call for review
The Navy officer has urged the Sports Ministry to intervene and review the selection process, recommending greater weightage for performances in national and international competitions, as well as head-to-head results.
He also referenced past selection approaches, noting that similar assessment methods ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics did not yield favourable results for Indian boxing.
Conclusion
The disagreement between the Navy and the Boxing Federation of India has brought renewed attention to the need for transparency and consistency in athlete selection.
With the Asian Championships approaching, the outcome of this dispute could influence future selection policies and governance standards in Indian boxing.