By Duncan Mackay at the Halla Gymnasium in Jeju City

Indian will support any punishment given to Sarita Devi after he protest on the medal podium at the Asian Games in Incheon, it has been claimed ©Getty ImagesIndian officials will accept whatever punishment is given to Sarita Devi, the fighter who refused to accept her bronze medal at the Asian Games in Incheon, International Boxing Association (AIBA) President C K Wu revealed here today.


Devi has been warned by Wu to expect a severe penalty for her public protest on the medal podium following her controversial semi-final defeat to South Korea's Park Ji-na in the lightweight division.

She has already been provisionally suspended by AIBA, meaning she will miss the Women's World Boxing Championships, which are due to start here tomorrow. 

Boxing India and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had pleaded for the reinstatement of the 2006 world champion so she could compete in this South Korean city. 

But, with the newly-constituted Boxing India having only been officially recognised by AIBA at its Congress in Seogwipo yesterday and the IOA having had a suspension from the International Olympic Committee lifted earlier this year, they do not appear to have the appetite for another major row.

India is "very ashamed" of Sarita Devi's protest at the Asian Games, AIBA President C K Wu has claimed and will back any punishment she is given ©AIBAIndia is "very ashamed" of Sarita Devi's protest at the Asian Games, AIBA President C K Wu has claimed and will back any punishment she is given ©AIBA

"They feel very ashamed by the actions of their athlete," Wu told insidethegames here.

"If everyone acted like she did imagine what would happen.

"This is life, you cannot win all the time.

"This is a good education for young athletes and neither AIBA or Boxing India will accept the behaviour that she showed."

N Ramachandran, President of the IOA, confirmed that they would not challenge whatever disciplinary action AIBA impose.

"Any International Federation has its own rules," he told insidethegames.

"And every athlete is supposed to follow those rules.

"The IOA can only make an appeal on behalf of an athlete and this has been done by the IOA."

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