Despite being debarred for life by the AIBA, Prof Anwar Chowdhry remains chairman of the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) as well as senior vice-president of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA). Holding these two high offices indicates Prof Chowdhry’s strong position as far as sporting circles in Pakistan go, in spite of the fact that the AIBA’s action taken against him has tarnished Pakistan’s image. Instead of resigning from his post, he remains adamant on running the PBF.

On June 16, 2007 international news agencies reported that the AIBA had put a life ban on Prof Chowdhry on charges of financial irregularities.

Here it must be mentioned that Prof Chowdhry has never entered the boxing ring in his life but somehow remained the uncrowned king of international amateur boxing for no less than 20 years. He was ousted in last year’s AIBA elections and ever since several reports have appeared in the press about charges of financial mismanagement.

Some years ago, demands to investigate the 1988 Seoul Olympics boxing scandal was ignored by Prof Chowdhry, who was then president AIBA and was elected for the first time as head of the world body after the 1986 elections held in Bangkok. Prof Chowdhry also had a long association with the Pakistan Boxing Federation, initially as its secretary before becoming its president for two decades. And now he is chairman of the PBF despite the fact that as per national sports policy no office-bearer can seek re-election after completing two terms of four years in office.

Then there have been debates over the audited accounts of the PBF executive committee at a recently held meeting in Karachi. The audited report was not circulated with the copy of agenda at the meeting. The PBF’s financial matters also involve government funding.

Prof Chowdhry controls the PBF and one of his relatives is the federation’s secretary. Surprisingly the Federal Sports Ministry took a long time to notice Chowdhry’s case. The Islamabad-based Pakistan Sports Board complying with the directives of the Federal Sports Ministry has recently issued a letter to the PBF chairman, Prof Chowdhry, asking him to submit a report about the allegations of financial mismanagement.

The Pakistan Boxing Federation is an affiliated unit of the PSB and the POA. The PSB and the Pakistan Sports Trust (PST) has given millions of rupees to the PBF during the past five years, particularly after the announcement of the 2002 first-ever national sports policy, which to a great extent has been made ineffective.

It was good on the part of the Sports Ministry to order an inquiry into the case, but it would have been much better had Islamabad approached the AIBA headquarters for getting necessary documents concerning the allegations. The International Amateur Boxing Association, it is generally believed, would not be found lacking in sending the needed documents that would have helped the Sports Ministry to have a fair assessment of the charges after receiving Chowdhry’s report. But there should be a time limit of not more than three months to come up with the final verdict.

The POA’s approach to the case is a matter of concern. In such a situation the POA, which is an affiliated body of the IOC, should have taken immediate action. Even at the POA’s general council meeting held in Lahore on June 30 the issue was not discussed.

Since the issue is of vital national importance, the nation is looking forward with great hope that the Senate Standing Committee on Sports will hold an in-depth inquiry into the case.