Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist boxer Manoj Kumar has raised concerns about the transparency of the new athlete assessment system introduced by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) for selecting boxers for upcoming international events like the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games 2026. Manoj questioned the exclusion of former players, Arjuna Awardees, Dronacharya Awardees, and Olympians from the monitoring process.
Manoj expressed his disappointment with the selection process being limited to the head coach, judges, and the federation, without the involvement of former Arjuna Awardees, Dronacharya Awardees, Olympians, and senior players as observers or selection monitors. He suggested that the inclusion of experienced individuals like Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar could have enhanced players’ trust in the process.
The BFI recently introduced a revised assessment methodology for elite national campers at NS NIS Patiala from May 13 to 15. The new system involves assessment through a 5-judge scoring system, comprising one head coach and four judges for all sparring bouts to ensure transparency and fairness. Scores will be announced immediately after each sparring bout, following the procedure used in boxing competitions.
BFI clarified that the previous marking system would not apply to the current assessment. The federation nullified the results of strength and conditioning tests conducted on Sunday, along with scores from sports science tests, weight management, health management, and attendance. Secretary Pramod Kumar of BFI stated that the selection of boxers for the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and other international competitions would occur from May 13 to 15 during the ongoing elite national campers at NS NIS Patiala, using a revised evaluation system based on sparring performance.
