Boxer Sarita Devi banned for one year
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New Delhi: The International Boxing Association (AIBA) on Wednesday banned Indian boxer Sarita Devi for one year for refusing to accept the Asian Games bronze medal.
The world boxing body also handed down a two-year ban on India’s foreign coach B.I. Fernandez, while clearing national coach G.S. Sandhu.
Devi lost in the semifinals of the women’s lightweight competition at Incheon, and tried to give her medal to her opponent at the presentation ceremony.
Boxing India had hinted that Devi may get some sort of punishment from the AIBA but said that it was hoping for her to escape a long-term ban from the international federation so that her career is not affected much and she can compete in 2016 Olympics.
“AIBA has been very firm on violation of rules from the very beginning and it takes serious view of disciplinary code violations.” Boxing India secretary-general Jay Kowli had said.
“Our endeavour has been to soften AIBA and urge for a liberal view taking into account the circumstances and human side of the emotional outburst of Sarita so that her long term career is not affected,” he had said.
AIBA president Ching-Kuo Wu had hinted a strong penalty for the boxer.
“She will be heavily punished, there will be zero tolerance,” the AIBA chief had said. “If you accept being the winner, you have to accept being the loser. If everyone behaved like that, what type of competition will we have?”
