Indian Amateur Boxing Federation

Established in February 1949, the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) has been instrumental in uplifting the standard of boxing in India and in encouraging the young sporting enthusiasts to take up the game as their profession. Affiliated to Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA), the world governing body for the sport, IABF has put forth strenuous efforts in bringing the boxing talents of India to the limelight. Championships at the national level have been conducted by the Federation, to make the sports enthusiasts in India recognize the professional boxers of the country. Go through the following lines to know all about Indian Amateur Boxing Federation.

The province of Bombay sowed the seeds of Indian amateur boxing, with regular hosting of boxing games and establishment of the Bombay Presidency Amateur Boxing Federation (BPABF) that was founded in 1925. H. V. Pointon, President of the BPABF, was instrumental in setting up the IABF. Apart from BPABF, the Bengal Amateur Boxing Federation (BABF) was in the forefront in establishing a national governing body for boxing. Apart from playing a prominent role in the early years after the establishment of IABF, BABF is credited with the production of some of the famous boxers during the period.

IABF started its journey towards recognition at a very slow pace. For a couple of years after its inception, IABF only had eight state organizations affiliated to it. The affiliated members included Bombay, Madras, CP & Berar, Gujarat, Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Hyderabad, Railways and Airways. In the present time, IABF has been organizing senior national championships regularly, for the past 55 years. It has organized about 42 Junior and 22 Sub-Junior championships till date. Moreover, the Federation has marked its international presence by participating at several international tournaments. Outstanding Indian boxers have been conferred with prestigious awards including Arjuna Award, Dhronacharya Award and a couple of Padmashree Awards.