Devi will miss out on next month's World Championships in Jeju City after the International Boxing Association (AIBA) provisionally banned the boxer for refusing to accept her Asian Games bronze medal during the lightweight division medal ceremony .

It followed a controversial decision by the judges in her semi-final bout with South Korea's Ji-Na Park, where the decision was awarded to the fighter from the host country. 

Indian Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has asked the IOA to step in and try and resolve the matter.

A meeting has now been scheduled for Tuesday (October 28) to discuss the crisis. 

The IOA's secretary general, Rajeev Mehta has claimed they are yet to receive any "official communication form the AIBA regarding the suspension."

But it appears that the newly formed Boxing India is already resigned to the fact that Devi will not be competing at the World Championships in South Korea.

"The damage has already been done and I don't think she can participate in the World Championships," said Boxing India secretary general Jay Kowli.

"We are guiding Sarita and trying to ensure that the issue is favourably sorted out.

"I saw the bout and I too felt she should have been declared the winner.

"It was an emotional outburst and she too realised that, but the damage was done by then.

"We are trying a damage control exercise now.

"She is an Olympic medal hope for us in the Rio [2016] Games and we are working hard to get her back in the ring."

A devastated Sarita Devi refused to accept her bronze medal at the Asian Games in Incheon ©Getty Images



Devi was left devastated and furious after judges voted unanimously in favour of Park in the pair's lightweight semi-final, despite dominating the encounter.

At the medal ceremony the 29-year-old refused to wear her bronze medal before placing it around the neck of the South Korean, who eventually finished runner-up in the event.

Despite subsequently apologising to the Olympic Council of Asia and AIBA for her "emotional outburst" the 29-year-old was banned along with her coaches; Gurbakhsh Singh Sandhu, Blas Iglesias Fernandez and Sagar Mai Dhayal, as well as Indian Chef de Mission Adille J Sumariwalla from all levels of AIBA competitions, events and meetings until further notice.

Mehta has also criticised the AIBA for banning Sumariwalla.

"Handing provisional suspension on chef-de-mission was an insult to the country and to IOA and the AIBA has no jurisdiction and right to pass strictures on Adille Sumariwala," Mehta told the Press Trust of India.

"The IOA is writing a protest letter to the OCA and the IOC in this regard.

"We will say that what the AIBA has done was totally wrong."

But Indian sports lawyer Rahul Mehra has criticised the role of Indian officials in Incheon and believes that Devi was forced into what she did due to a lack of support and advice from officials behind-the-scenes.

"Nobody stood by Sarita Devi except her husband [Chongtham Thoiba Singh]" said Mehra.

"If there was support from the officials there, she would not have been forced to protest in such a manner.

"We should not blame her; rather we should blame the officials who are disconnected from the sports.

"It is a very sad day that Sarita Devi is being made to go through so many difficulties but I am not at all surprised that this has happened.

"This happened time and again.

"Over the last decade, all our icons and sporting legends have been treated in the same manner."

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