New Delhi, Apr 28 (IANS): The 2021 Asian Boxing Championship, originally scheduled to be held in New Delhi in May, has been shifted to Dubai, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) said in a statement on Wednesday.

The decision was made due to travel restrictions that several participating nations have announced to India due to the sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in the country.

"In the wake of international travel restrictions to India, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), in consultation with Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC), has decided to conduct the upcoming 2021 edition of the ASBC Asian Elite Men and Women Boxing Championships in Dubai. The event will now be organised by BFI in association with UAE Boxing Federation," said the BFI.

The BFI said that it has received a no objection certificate from the Sports Ministry to conduct the tournament at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi but had to eventually make the decision of not hosting the tournament in the national capital due to the travel restrictions.

"It's unfortunate that we have to shift the venue out of India. We were very keen to host the championships in Delhi but we are left with no options. Boxers' safety is the most important concern for us and hence we had to take this decision. We are grateful to UAE for accepting our request and agreeing to co-host on such a short notice. We are thankful to all member federations and ASBC for their cooperation," BFI President Ajay Singh said.

"We closely monitored the situation and after deliberation with ASBC as well as the Government of India, we decided to conduct the tournament in Dubai. I wish for everyone's good health and safety and pray that India soon come out of this situation strongly," he added.