BANNED JUDGE PONDERS LEGAL CHALLENGE
By Mark Staniforth, PA Sport
The suspended judge at the centre of the Commonwealth Games scoring scandal
tonight said he would consider legal action against Amateur International Boxing
Association president Anwar Chowdhry.
Ugandan David Agong has been suspended indefinitely after being accused by
Chowdhry of making "political decisions" during a first round
light-middleweight contest between Scotland's Kevin Anderson and Pakistani
Asghar Ali Shah.
But Agong's score for Anderson tallied with three of the other four judges -
while the Zimbabwean who scored in favour of Shah went unpunished.
Agong accused Chowdhry - who will be re-elected unopposed as AIBA president
for a 16th year this autumn - of "destroying my reputation not only at home but
worldwide".
He added: "I am 58 years old and I have been in boxing for 40 years. I am a
grade A official and I know what I am doing.
"I have got nothing against Pakistan and I have never been to Scotland. I
will come to think about legal action.
"I like Dr Chowdhry. Uganda has voted for him. He must be crazy to punish me
for nothing."
Agong scored 39-25 in favour of Anderson in a contest which all present agreed
the Scot had won convincingly. Canada scored 32-25, New Zealand 39-27 and
England 30-23 all in his favour. Zimbabwe scored 32-27 for Shah.
Referee Stephen Kofi Antwi of Ghana was also handed a two-day ban.
Agong, who is president of the All Africa Boxing Federation, said he feared
the repercussions of the scandal when he returned home.
"I am a man who represents Africa. The front pages of the newspapers in
Uganda have a big picture of me and the words "political scandal" underneath.
My reputation has been destroyed completely."
Chowdhry would make no comment to the media when made aware of Agong's
claims.
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