Controversy Erupts at National Boxing Championships Over Refereeing Decisions

The National Boxing Championships faced scrutiny due to controversial refereeing, leading to Olympian Ashish Chaudhary's disqualification. This sparked protests and a review by the Boxing Federation of India. Former world champion Saweety Boora also questioned judging after losing a closely contested bout.

The refereeing at the National Boxing Championships has come under intense scrutiny, following the disqualification of Olympian Ashish Chaudhary. The incident occurred in his opening-round bout against Haryana's Rupesh, which led to protests and prompted a review by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).

Ashish Chaudhary, a 2019 Asian Championships silver medallist, was competing in the men's lightweight category (80kg) when he was disqualified less than two minutes into the contest. The clash was initially deemed accidental by the referee, who later overturned the decision following discussions with the Technical Delegate. The BFI subsequently ordered a thorough review and temporarily relieved the referee of his duties.

The controversy didn't end there, as former world champion Saweety Boora also raised questions about the judging standards after her narrow defeat to Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain. The incident has cast doubts over the credibility of technical officials in Indian boxing, leading to widespread debate within the sport's fraternity.

(With inputs from agencies.)