Dear Friends,

There is a saying ‘ A lull before the Storm’ which is apt as far as Indian Boxing is concerned. Right now our boxers are quietly undergoing training at various National Coaching Camps ready to take on the rest of the World at various International Boxing Competitions.

The Season starts with a bang with the Women pugilists going to Turkey for participation in the XX1V International Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament ‘Ahmet Comert’ at Istanbul, Turkey from 14-20 April 2009 followed by the youngsters participating in the AIBA Youth Men’s World Championships at Yerevan, Armenia from 23-30 May 2009. The Senior Men’s Boxing Team will participate in a Training Exposure with the Kazakhstan Team in May and then participate in the ‘Grand Prix Usti Na Labe International Tournament’ in  the Czech Republic from 12-17 May 2009. This will be followed by the Asian Men’s Boxing Championships at Zhuhai, China from 7-13 June 2009 and then of course the AIBA World Championships at Milan from 1-12 September 2009, where the capping of Boxers for the ‘World Series Boxing’ will also take place.

In the domestic front, Maharashtra will be hosting the 11th  KO Cup Cadets All India Invitational Boxing Championships from 7-10 May 2009 for Junior Boys under 16 years of age. Tamilnadu State Amateur Boxing Association has proposed to host the National Youth Men’s Boxing Championships at Coimbatore from 2-7 June 2009. The rest of the National Calendar is yet to be finalised and will be communicated to all of you soon.

Chandigarh Amateur Boxing Association under their President, Late Capt Kanwaljit Singh and their committed and outstanding Hony Secretary  Dr CK Jerath and his team, organised the 1st International (16th AK Misra) Boxing Championships at Chandigarh from 1-15 March 2009 which was a huge success. A total of 16 teams (7 Foreign and 9 Indian) participated. Every Team had a word of praise for the hospitality showered on them and the excellent arrangements made by the Organisers. All the bouts were keenly contested affairs, moreso with heavy cash incentives announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs , Govt of India (total Prize money of Rs 10 lakhs).

Goa Amateur Boxing Association under the leadership of their charming President Mrs Victoria Fernandez and their dynamic Hony Secretary Mr Lenny D’Gama organised the National Youth and Junior Women’s Boxing Championships at Calangute, Goa from 25-30 March 2009 which was a resounding success. The arrangements for the Technical Conduct and hospitality for the participants were of a very high order.

Mr Ivan Khodabaksh , Chief Operating Officer of World Series Boxing and Mr Julian Brand, Vice President, IMG will be arriving in Delhi on 22 April and will give a Presentation to the Prospective Franchisees on 23 April 2009. IABF sincerely hopes that India will be one of the four Cities from Asia that will get shortlisted as a Franchisee City from amongst the six that are presently competing. It is indeed quite heartening that a large number of Indian Corporates have shown interest in becoming a Franchisee and are therefore attending the Presentation.

IABF proposes to start the ‘Indian Series Boxing’ (ISB) on similar lines of WSB, by having four Indian Cities as franchisees. At present, we are thinking of one City from each part of the Country ie. Delhi (North), Guwahati (East), Mumbai (West), Chennai / Hyderabad (South). Further details will be streamlined by the IABF Executive Committee in due course of time.

Wishing the Indian Boxing Family a very enjoyable and memorable Boxing Season during 2009 !

Col PK Muralidharan Raja
Secretary General
Indian Boxing Federation