Former world boxing president urges stability in Indian leadership

Former World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst has emphasised the need for stability and continuity in the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) to sustain the sport’s recent progress.

Van der Vorst endorsed BFI president Ajay Singh’s leadership amid reports of internal disagreements within the federation. He praised Singh and BFI CEO Arun Malik for their efforts in sending large Indian teams to international competitions and creating a supportive ecosystem for athletes.

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Addressing concerns about possible impacts of disputes between the federation’s president and secretary on Indian boxers, Van der Vorst said, “The most important thing to stress is that you always have to put the interest of boxers first. And putting the interest of boxing first, the situation requires stability.”

He added, “President Singh and especially CEO Arun Malik did a great job for Indian boxing for the BFI by sending big teams to competitions, by creating an ecosystem where boxers can become successful. And I think with less than two years now and after the historic medal count during the Commonwealth Games and in the Asian Games, it’s now necessary to continue that kind of leadership because it is really necessary for the boxers that they need stability and that’s really crucial now.”

Regarding Singh’s leadership and administrative capabilities, Van der Vorst highlighted the president’s financial investment in the federation and the achievements of Indian boxers across age groups. “He invests a lot in BFI and Indian boxing, and with all the historic medals, not only in elite boxing, but also in the youth. It is really unbelievable how much talent there is nowadays in India,” he said.

Van der Vorst also urged other investors to support Indian boxing, stating, “It is important that other people also are going to stand up, that not only President Singh is the one who’s investing his money into Indian boxing, that also other funding will be available because when I as a business person, when I need to invest money into sports in India, I should invest in boxing. After all, I see big chances there for India.”

Reflecting on his first visit to India, Van der Vorst commended the dedication and discipline of young boxers training in local gyms. “Now what’s important to stress is that a few years ago when I came to India the first time, I directly fell in love. What you see here in the gyms is, for me, really unbelievable. You don’t see that in many other countries, the real hungriness, the dedication, the discipline, training two times a day in the heat and that’s really a unique situation.”

He expressed optimism about Indian boxing’s potential, saying, “I think what is now coming together, saat saat, coming together is that everyone sees now the opportunity for Indian boxing to flourish and to get a unique medal count also in LA.”

Van der Vorst’s comments come amid ongoing discussions about the BFI’s leadership and operations. He reiterated that ensuring stability and attracting broader financial support will be vital for the continued development of boxing in India.