Rio 2016: Boxers face disqualification threat for no India' on jerseys

Mumbai: The Indian boxing contingent got off the mark with panache and glamour in Rio Olympics with Vikas Krishan and Manoj Kumar cruising to the next round. At a time when they were being advertised as medal contenders, AIBA pulled them up for not having ‘India’ written on their jerseys raising doubts about their qualification to the next stage.

The boxers faced the music from the international federation on Thursday morning, a few hours before Shiva Thapa’s opening bout.

In any major event, it is mandatory to have the country’s name printed on the jerseys.

Sources close to the boxers say that the group is making a last minute effort to get their jerseys inked.

Thapa, who will wear his gloves and take guard at 8 pm (Indian Standard Time) has about four hours to fix the problem.

Manoj earned the information after he turned up for his spell. He was told: “No Indian boxer will be allowed after this.”

AIBA and Boxing India haven’t been in sync for months.

Earlier, the world body expressed their disappointment with India for not holding elections to form a new federation despite deadlines.

AIBA have set a final cut-off date, September 25, for Boxing India to have a new body.