Boxing: This is corruption!, says boxer Petrova after Sonia Chahal wins

India's Sonia Chahal (left) punches Bulgaria's Stanimira Petrova during their light flyweight 57 kg bout at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi yesterday. Sonia won 2-3 via a split verdict. Pic/PTI

Bulgaria's Olympic champion boxing coach Petar Lesov was yesterday barred from ringside in the ongoing women's World Championship, while his ward Stanimira Petrova accused judges of corruption after a hard-fought pre-quarter-final loss to India's Sonia Chahal (57kg). On a dramatic day, a judging controversy hit the marquee event after former gold-medallist Petrova pointed a finger at the officials and her coach threw a bottle inside the ring after the bout to protest the result.

The Bulgarian, 27, who was a bantamweight (54kg) gold-medallist from the 2014 edition of the event, went down in a split 2-3 verdict to the local boxer. "This is corruption by the judges. It is not a fair result," she told reporters. The International Boxing Association (AIBA), after a review of the incident by its technical delegate, barred Lesov from ringside for the remainder of the tournament, which concludes on November 24.

Stanimira Petrova

"The AIBA has decided to remove the accreditation, and therefore the right to be in the corner, from the coach of the Bulgarian delegation Petar Yosifov Lesov due to his unacceptable behaviour," the world body said in a statement. Lesov won the flyweight gold medal in the 1980 Olympics and has been a coach for nearly three decades. "The International Boxing Association does not tolerate, in any circumstances, such behaviour against the AIBA values and AIBA Code of Conduct, especially being a coach. The incident will be forwarded to the Disciplinary Commission for further review," it added.

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