Guwahati, Oct. 1: The Assam Amateur Boxing Association (AABA), the apex boxing organisation of the state, is heading towards an imminent bifurcation with the imposition of a ban on at least nine office-bearers and members and dissolution of seven district units in a meeting here on September 23.

Some of the banned office-bearers and members have even threatened to take legal recourse against the association's decision to suspend them even after they had tendered their resignations. The association has, on the other hand, threatened to move the court, accusing the new body of using its name and registration.

The bone of contention between the association and the banned office-bearers is the formation of a new parallel body under the name and style of the same AABA, but affiliated to the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF).

The AABA has been affiliated to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) which is currently a recognised organisation for boxing by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Union sports ministry.

While the BFI is headed by Ajay Singh as president and Jay Kowli as secretary-general, the IABF, which was reconstituted recently, is headed by Abhishek Matoria as president and Rakesh Thakran as secretary general.

The joint secretary of the AABA, Sanjib Handique, who has now been banned, was elected unanimously as joint secretary of the IABF which prompted the AABA to ban him along with eight others.

The seven dissolved units of the AABA include Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Moran, Titabor, Dergaon and Charaideo on charges of 'anti-association activities'.

The district units were dissolved for allegedly extending support to Handique in forming a parallel body despite being affiliated to the AABA headed by Kali Kanta Boro as president and BFI treasurer Hemanta Kalita as secretary.

When contacted by The Telegraph, Handique said: 'We have joined the original national body because the BFI was supposed to organise boxing in India for only one year owing to certain pending issues in the IABF. Now that the issues have been resolved, the IABF is supposed to run boxing affairs in India. Besides, under the BFI, we in the AABA could not do anything so far for the development of boxing in Assam except for holding some national and international tournaments which do not help develop the game in our state. We have seen some scope to develop the sport under the IABF and thus, we have joined.'

Kalita, however, asserted that the BFI is currently the only recognised body of the AIBA, IOA and the sports ministry and said the AABA will also join the IABF if the recognition shifts back to the body.

'Our basic objective is to promote the sport and I wish the new body success in developing the game. I am personally pained to have lost genuine and dedicated organisers like Handique parting ways with the AABA. The door is still open for people like them to return and work in unison for the sake of the sport,' Kalita said.

Asked what made the AABA ban the nine-office bearers even after they had resigned, he said: 'We had received an intimation on social media, but no formal resignation letter which prompted us to take a decision in compliance with our constitution. The only resignation letter we have received was from the Dergaon unit president Parag Thakur who took the exception for being showcaused although he claims to be unaware of any meeting organised to form the parallel AABA body.'

Handique, however, said he had the postal acknowledgement receipt against his resignation letter. 'I can produce it if any court of law asks me to do so,' he added.

On Kalita accusing the breakaway faction of using the AABA's name and registration, Handique said the AABA was originally affiliated to the IABF and the same name and registration were being used.

He said the body affiliated to the BFI should adopt a new name and registration .