The opening day of the National Boxing Championship in Greater Noida witnessed chaos as action on the first day got delayed by several hours.
The seven-day event ie being taking place at the Gautam Buddha University, starting January 4 and will run until January 10.
The reason behind the delay in action on the opening was a case of gross mismanagement and poor organisation, which impacted the image of the competition.
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Why were Indian National Boxing Championships delayed?
The Boxers who had their bouts scheduled for the first session in the afternoon arrived on time to find out that the floors at Gautam Buddha University were empty as the rings were not constructed.
Contests were scheduled for 2 pm, but eventually got started only around 6:30 pm. Normally, rings are put up at least a day before the start of any national boxing competition.
The mismanagement naturally frustrated the participants and the coaches as the professionals were understandably unhappy with the delay,
An unnamed coach shared their anger while speaking to Sportstar, where he said: "We have been told that maybe the women’s boxers will have their bouts postponed by a day. This is the first time I’ve seen that we can’t have a national championship (begin) because the ring hasn’t been set up."
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What did the Boxing Federation of India say?
Hours after the incident, the BFI released a statement on the mishap as it read: "The Boxing Federation of India acknowledges that the commencement of Day 1 of the Senior Boxing National Championships was delayed earlier today due to unforeseen circumstances.
"We confirm that all operational matters were promptly addressed, and the championships are now underway and progressing smoothly as per the revised schedule. BFI appreciates the patience and cooperation of athletes, officials, and spectators, and remains committed to ensuring a well-conducted national championship."
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