Head of the newly formed Boxing India, Sandeep Jajodia issued the plea following a meeting with Indian Sports Minister Ajit Sharan, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President N Ramachandran and secretary general Rajeev Mehta, and AIBA representative from India Kishen Narsi.

Devi has been provisionally suspended after 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.

The suspension means the former Asian and world champion is banned from competing at the World Championships in Jeju City.

"It was purely an emotional reaction and not pre-planned," claimed Jajodia, after the meeting.

"We don't deny that it was disrespectful to the code of conduct for athletes, but she has tendered an unconditional apology.

"Sarita is a senior boxer and does not have a history of such offences.

"Also, it was a one-off incident and we must look at it from a human perspective."

Despite dominating her encounter with Park during the pair's lightweight semi-final, Devi reacted furiously after judges awarded the win to the home boxer in Incheon.

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.

Devi's bronze medal lies unclaimed after she refused to accept it in Incheon leading to a suspension from AIBA ©Getty Images



She has subsequently banned her from all AIBA competitions along with her coaches; Gurbakhsh Singh Sandhu, Blas Iglesias Fernandez and Sagar Mai Dhayal, as well as Indian Chef de Mission Adille J Sumariwalla.

Devi had already apologised to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)and AIBA for her actions but she reiterated her remorse in a letter responding to the official notification of suspension from the world governing body.

"I sincerely apologise to AIBA for my conduct during the medal ceremony of the Incheon Asian Games," Devi wrote.

"I do accept that the incidents should not have happened and I deeply regret the incidents with a pledge that this will never happen again.

"Realising my mistakes, I had immediately tendered an apology letter to the Olympic Council of Asia and the organizing [sic] committee of the Asian Games 2014 and accepted the bronze medal.

"In my 14-year long career, I had never been involved in any act of indiscipline or misconduct both in the national and international arena.

"I would like to plea to your good office to consider my case and pardon me for the incidents in the Incheon Asian Games, 2014."

Following the incident, AIBA technical delegate David Francis criticised the behaviour of Devi and the rest of the Indian officials in Incheon claiming that their actions were pre-planned.

But Sumariwalla has hit out at AIBA accusing the governing body of going beyond its jurisdiction in banning him also.

"Who is AIBA to suspend me?" said Sumariwalla.

"I have gone to Incheon as head of the Indian contingent.

"I had done my duty to help out a boxer in my capacity as the head of my country's contingent."

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