courtesy: DNA
Mumbai, October 22: Taking a strict action, AIBA has provisionally suspended India’s woman boxer Laishram Sarita Devi for refusing to accept the bronze medal at the Asian Games podium ceremony.
Protesting against a controversial verdict, Sarita in an unprecedented move, had refused to wear the medal around her neck as she broke down on the podium during the ceremony for the 57-60 kg category.
“The AIBA also provisionally suspended Sarita’s coaches (Messrs Gurbakhsh Singh Sandhu, Blas Iglesias Fernandez and Sagar Mal Dhayal) as well as Indian chef-de-mission in the Incheon Asiad, Adille J. Sumariwalla and will not allow any of them to participate at all levels of competitions, events and meetings until further notice,” an AIBA statement said.
This case has been sent for review by the AIBA Disciplinary Commission and it means that Sarita Devi, the above mentioned coaches as well as Sumariwalla, will not be allowed to participate in the AIBA women’s world boxing championships in Jeju Islands (Korea), 2014, the statement added.
Even though the AIBA had taken note of her written apology, the international body surprisingly decided to suspend the boxer and the national coaches.
The medal, which Devi had refused to accept, was handed over to India’s chef de mission Sumariwalla. It is understood that a battery of Indian officials, including chief boxing coach Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu, pressured Devi into writing an apology.