Indian Professional Boxing Association launched

New Delhi, Nov 13 (UNI) Promising to provide the pugilists with a better livelihood, Indian Professional Boxing Association (IPBA) was launched here today.

Announcing the birth of IPBA, former world number four amateur boxer Raj Kumar Sangwan said the association aims to promote boxing not just yet another sport, but also as a television-friendly entertaiment.

Thanks to wide television coverage, boxing, one of the four most popular games, is an industry in itself and Mr Sangwan said IPBa would strive to help a large number of talents in the country make a cereer out of the gamee.

''We want to provide a better life for boxers who are either in the middle or towards the fag end of their career. We are not promising them moon but they can surely have a better lifestyle,'' he said.

Dronacharya awardee OP Bhardwaj, who has been named chairman of the training commission, clarified IPBA doesn't question the authority of the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF).

''We have no tussle with IABF. In fact I contacted a few IABF officials before coming here,'' Mr Bhardwaj said.

TV personality Charu Sharma has been named Vice President of the IPBA.

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