Ajay Singh has been re-elected as president of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) after defeating former Maharashtra sports minister Ashish Shelar in the polls.
Singh received 37 votes while Shelar, who has held many top positions in sport, including the role of president of Maharashtra Cricket Association and Mumbai District Football Association, got 27 votes in the BFI elections on Wednesday.
Tokyo Olympics-bound Indian boxer Amit Panghal said the experience of Singh will help India win medals in the upcoming games.
A new era and hope for Indian Boxing and to us all that under the guidance and rich experience of Ajay Singh ji we will get record haul of the medal in Tokyo Olympic," Amit tweeted.
On Tuesday, the six-time world champion boxer Mary Kom credited BFI president Ajay Singh for the "remarkable performances" of the boxers from the country at the global stage in recent years.
Kom has recently joined the national camp and begun training for the final phase of her comeback ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
"Ajay Singh has stood by all the players, their needs and requirements. In my long stint in boxing, he probably is the only administrator who has wholeheartedly only thought good for Indian boxing and the boxers, right from the juniors to the elites. Support like that gets the best out of the players and you can see that from the remarkable performances boxers have produced in the last four years," Kom said, in a statement, on the sidelines of her training.
With consistent opportunities for boxers to excel in the sport in the last four years, including participation in the highest-ever 80 international tournaments and exposure trips, the Indian team has seen rising in the Top-10 in the world ranking and also ranked third in Asia.
Talking about never-seen-before exposure for boxers in the last four years, the Olympic bronze medallist further complimented Ajay Singh's leadership and the efforts he has put in while raising standards of Indian boxing with all possible facilities for the players.
"Earlier a top player like me also had to struggle in the red tapes of the federation but since BFI came into existence, Ajay Singh personally ensured best coaching and support staff and initiated year-long camps for players. And results of the efforts he put in are here for all of us to see. Today we have developed a strong bench strength with more than 4 to 5 world-class boxers in each weight category," she said.
"Today if Indian boxing is doing well globally, I feel it is because of the efforts that have been put to raise the standards of our players and our domestic facilities. I personally believe Ajay Singh has done a great job. And for India to be the best boxing nation in the world, he should continue as the President of the federation," Kom added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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