Sarita Devi could face long ban: AIBA

Kuala Lampur: International Boxing Association (AIBA) President Wu Ching-kuo on Wednesday said boxer L Sarita Devi could expect heavy punishment for refusing to accept the Asian Games bronze medal.

The boxer lost in the semi-finals of the women’s lightweight competition at Incheon, South Korea, in September, and tried to give her medal to her opponent at the presentation ceremony.

Ching-kuo said the commission will make its ruling “very soon” and forecast a strong penalty. “She will be heavily punished, there will be zero tolerance,” Ching-kuo 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?”

Sandeep Jajodia, President of Boxing India, last month urged AIBA to revoke Devi’s provisional suspension, saying “it was purely an emotional reaction and not pre-planned.”

But Ching-kuo said there would be little forgiveness. “I said to them, that (apology) doesn’t matter, you need to think before you act,” Ching-kuo said.

“She probably will be banned for some time because we want to consider the case that all the referees and judges’ decisions need to be respected.”

The AIBA President said the controversies over scoring at the Asian Games and allegations of impropriety were possibly caused by a misunderstanding of the new scoring system and heightened measures to prevent influencing of judges.