India boxing team protest rejected at Asian Games

C.RAJSHEKHAR RAO
AP Sports Writer

INCHEON, South Korea (AP) — India’s protest against the outcome of an Asian Games boxing semifinal that was awarded to South Korea’s Park Ji-na over L.Sarita Devi in the women’s 60-kilogram division was rejected on Tuesday.

World body AIBA’s technical committee rejected the protest, saying “rules bar any complaints against judges, and protests can only be filed against the decision of the referees.”

India chief boxing coach Blas Iglesias Fernandes said the 3-0 decision against Sarita smacked of a fix.

“Only dishonest people can do something like this,” he said. “It’s a clear case of a pre-determined judgment. In fact, the opponent should have been given a standing count on many occasions, which never happened.”

Sarita’s husband, Thoiba Singh, hurled expletives at the judges, none of whom were from Asia, and scored the three-round bout by identical 39-37 margins.

“The host is clearly taking advantage,” Sarita said. “I’ve left my one-year-old son at home to compete here, and it took just one minute for the judges to spoil everything for me.”

Olympic Council of Asia delegates and boxing officials at the venue did not react to the Indian furor or the protest.

The judges were Mohamed Braham of Tunisia, Albino Foti of Italy, and Mariuisz Jozef Gorny of Poland.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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