PUNJAB LAWMAKER WANTS ``NO BEARD`` CLAUSE DROPPED FROM BOXING

By P. Vijian

NEW DELHI, April 24 (Bernama) -- A prominent Punjab woman lawmaker has
sought the Indian government's help to rescind an international clause that bars
boxers with beard from competing in national and foreign boxing competitions.

Bathinda member of parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal urged Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh to intervene, saying the "discriminatory" clause would prevent
Sikh boxers from taking part in major tournaments.

The Asian Age quoted Harsimrat as saying that the International Amateur
Boxing Association (AIBA) had issued a directive to all national and state
bodies to ban boxers with beard and moustaches.

She described such a ruling as unfair to Sikh boxers and that the Indian
Boxing Federation (IBF) was "helpless in tampering with AIBA's guidelines since
that could disqualify the Indian team from competing in international events."

She had also approached India's Sports Minister M.S. Gill to take up the
issue with the International Olympic Association and the AIBA.

Punjab will host the national youth boxing championship later in June and
the "no beard" ruling is likely to work against the host state.

-- BERNAMA