IOA Probe Rejects Lovlina Borgohain’s Gender Bias Claim Against BFI Official

The Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) three-member inquiry committee has found no evidence of gender discrimination in the allegations made by Olympic boxer Lovlina Borgohain against Boxing Federation of India (BFI) executive director Arun Malik.

The panel was formed to examine Lovlina’s complaint accusing Malik of rude and disrespectful behaviour with a “gender-biased” attitude during a Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) virtual meeting on July 8 this year. The committee comprised TOPS CEO Nachhatar Singh Johal, IOA Athletes’ Commission vice-chairperson Sharath Kamal and a female legal expert.

According to reports, the committee reviewed a 45-minute video recording of the meeting before concluding that Malik’s behaviour, though stern and authoritative at times, did not amount to gender discrimination.

The committee, however, noted that Malik could have handled the situation more sensitively and advised that “officials must exercise restraint while speaking to athletes, particularly female athletes of international stature like Lovlina.”

Lovlina had reportedly requested approval to retain Pranamika Boro as her personal coach, a proposal Malik opposed citing technical and performance-related reasons. The panel observed that while Malik disagreed with Lovlina’s request, his tone did not reflect gender bias.

Though Malik has been cleared of discrimination charges, the committee strongly recommended that the BFI and other national sports federations adopt a more athlete-friendly approach. It stressed the need for a flexible, “athlete-first” policy to better address the concerns of sportspersons preparing for major international events.

The inquiry report has been submitted to IOA president PT Usha and the Union Sports Ministry. However, the findings have not yet been made public and have reportedly not been shared with either Lovlina or Malik so far. The IOA and ministry will now take a final decision on whether any further action is required in the matter.

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