IBC & Pro-Boxing: Collaboration for Best-Way Forward…

Arjun J Chaudhuri

That Indian Boxing Council [IBC], which is the Governing-Body for National-Boxing in India has been empowered to sanction professional-boxing bouts, and award national and subordinate championship titles. This newly formed and recognized organization is registered as the section-8 non-profit organization extends for the first-time the opportunity to boxers in India to turn professional whose stated-objective U/highly-able administrator president of IBC Brigadier PKM RAJA is to promote and serve the sport of boxing, to implement the fair, scientific and objective computerized systems and to establish uniform safety measures and uniform procedures for the protection of professional boxers as well as the proper-conduct of championship matches.

IBC is today the licensing-body for the country's professional boxers, and have been inducted into the World Boxing Organization [WBO] with voting rights in the WBO's annual conventions held worldwide thanks to IBC Brigadier PKM RAJA’s recognition and efforts before WBO-founder chairman Luis Batista Salas. That alongside are the co-collaborators of professional-boxing in India: Infinity Optimal Solutions [IOS], widely-known for promoting the star-boxer Vijender Singh who has represented India in three consecutive Olympic-Games, winning the bronze-medal at Beijing, China in 2008, and then turning professional in 2015, since when he has won 7 consecutive-Bouts, including 6 knock-outs. That because of IOS Sports-Management he currently holds the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middle-Weight Championship Title.

That IOS Boxing-Promotions has also signed other boxers

including Olympian Diwakar Prasad, Commonwealth-Games medal winner Amandeep Singh, WBC Asia Welter Weight Champion Neeraj Goyal, and Olympic quarter finalists Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar who are assigned to train U/the guidance of foreign trainers at the IOS Boxing Training-Facility in Gurgaon.  

That behind this new-found success are key-changes made to Professionalize Boxing from its erstwhile Amateur-Status. Firstly, the economic incentives created through TV broadcasting & AD-revenues realized by showcasing title-bouts, the Revenue-Rights to which are shared by promoter, manager and boxer. Secondly, the legacy of success that amateur boxers have gained by participating for India at the Olympic-Games and Common-Wealth Games. Thirdly, the able administration of President of IBC Brigadier PKM Raja who has ensured that proper standards are maintained for [1] maintaining boxers’ fitness and motivation-levels, and [2] proper-handling of contracts, coaching, supervision and preparation for fights. Fourthly, the induction of sports management companies who are [1] Talent Honing, [2] Building Content and [3] Creating-Infra-Structure by their experienced, skilled and professional team with added role and responsibilities of carrying-out [A] Press Relations/Public Relations, [B] Film Marketing and

[C] Events and Operations.

That at the top of it all are the eligibility standards imposed by Ministry of Sports & Youth-Affairs through national sports-code and anti-fixing & drug-abuse practices. Therefore the 3-tiered structure of administration and management has given Pro-Boxing the head-start for success.

What remains to be seen is its sustainability & growth…