Devi Issues Apology Over Scandal With Medal at Games

Sarita Devi has made an unconditional apology for refusing to accept her bronze medal at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

The International amateur Boxing Association said on Friday the Indian boxer had apologized for her protest against the judging.

The IABA and Asian Games organizers were infuriated by her behavior and the boxing administrators had threatened disciplinary action against the 32-year-old.

An IABA statement said Devi had "apologized for her improper behavior at the award ceremony" on Wednesday in a letter that the Indian delegation had given to IABA's president Wu Ching-Kuo.

"Mrs Devi expressed 'an unconditional apology' for her 'emotional outburst' at the ceremony, writing that 'I regret and apologize. Such an incident will never reoccur," it was said in the statement.

The association started an investigation against Devi after she rejected her bronze medal and criticized judges over a controversial semifinal loss to South Korea's Park Ji-Na.

Several stormy protests over a number of judging decisions have been reported. There were scuffles and swearing after some fights. The Incheon organizing committee complained about Devi's behavior but also said it had written to the IABA calling on the federation to "ensure fair play in competition."

Earlier Reuters reported that the bronze medal may be confiscated. Devi refused to wear the medal when it was presented on Wednesday, taking it in her hand and trying to drape it over the South Korean fighter who had beaten her the previous day.

When the presentation was over, she left the medal behind, despite being told by the organizers to take it with her.

Devi lodged a protest after the judges ruled that she had lost to Park Ji-na. At Wednesday's medal presentation, she broke down in tears.

Son Cheon-taik, deputy secretary-general of the Games organizing committee, said: “She needs to respect the official ruling and show sportsmanship. Her actions were not sportsman-like.

"The Olympic Council of Asia is working on the review of the medal, whether or not to give it to her or confiscate it. Although she was upset, she didn't lodge an official complaint, so there is no official investigation.

"However, if an athlete feels cheated, there needs to be an official letter to the judging committee, which I have begun working on. I have not yet sent this letter, so nothing is official.

"At every Games you see claims being made against judging decisions," said Son. "We wanted to make sure we didn't just claim to be fair but that we did our best to maintain the integrity of the Games.

"We introduced an academic programme and provided education and training to judges at the Games. We wanted to create an environment where those that are defeated accepted the result, and those that won could be graceful in victory.

"We tried to ensure there is no home advantage and we wanted to underline that this is an event for all Asians."

The result of the fight sparked a backlash in India, where several newspapers featured a crying Sarita on the front page, claiming she had been "robbed in the ring" by "biased" judges.

"That all three judges gave it to the Korean clearly shows the result of the bout was decided before the start," India's Cuban coach Blas Iglesias Fernandez told the Times of India newspaper.

"You can understand if such a thing happens in a close bout but this was totally one-sided and this is a poor advertisement for boxing."

‘WELL-PLANNED SCENARIO’

SAPA-AFP reports that AIBA technical delegate David Francis said: "The whole incident looked like a well-planned scenario by her and her team."

Son Cheon-Taik, boxing’s deputy secretary general of the Games organizing committee, said Devi's decision to refuse the medal was against the spirit of the event.

But he also said organizers had written to the AIBA) after controversies involving India and Mongolia, among others. "I have written a formal letter to AIBA requesting they ensure fair play in the boxing competition," he told reporters.

"If India and Mongolia are dissatisfied and file a formal complaint the [Olympic Council of Asia] will investigate and take the appropriate actions."

The row has reverberated in India, where sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal demanded urgent answers from the Indian Olympic Association IOA.

"We have sought a report from IOA on Sarita's case," Sonowal said in New Delhi. "Let them give a detailed report and we will take further steps."

NEW SCORING SYSTEM SLAMMED

Before the controversy, Indian middleweight Vikas Krishan had already slammed the new scoring system which is in use at the Games. "Boxing has gone into regression. The scoring is the biggest problem we have," Krishan said after winning a unanimous points decision on Monday.

Mongolia also lodged a formal protest after bantamweight Tugstsogt Nyambayar lost a decision to South Korea's Ham Sang-Myeong on Tuesday. And Thailand flyweight Sopida Satumrum was in tears after her defeat to Si Haijuan of China on Saturday.

Ec Picson, executive director of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, said he had considered making a complaint after flyweight Ian Clark Bautista's disputed loss to South Korea's Choe Sang-Don on Saturday.

The Korean had taken a standing count in the third and was visibly dazed yet still won the round on two of the three scorecards.

"These bum decisions are a cause for concern. It makes you feel uneasy and queasy," Picson told the Philippines Star newspaper.