Hussain stresses Pak boxers’ training abroad

KARACHI: Former Pakistan boxing star Hussain Shah on Wednesday urged the country’s boxing authorities to train their top boxers on foreign soil if they wanted to improve the standard of the game.

“It’s important to train your quality stuff on foreign soil,” Hussain told ‘The News’ here in an interview. “Unless they do sparring with the best boxers of the world Pakistan will not be able to compete in international circuit,” he added.

Hussain has arrived in Karachi to see his ailing wife who is suffering from cancer. The 1988 Seoul Olympics bronze medallist is permanently settled in Tokyo where he imparts training to professional boxers.

Hussain, who won five straight gold medals in South Asian Games, said instead of spending millions on organising unnecessary events at the provincial and levels it was important to back elite boxers in their foreign training which would leave a great impact on Pakistan’s boxing. “I see that millions of rupees are being spent on organising needless events, particularly in Sindh. And there is no accountability. I will suggest to the provincial governments, especially Sindh, to release grants to only those bodies which have the reputation of spending the state funding in the right areas,” Hussain said.

He said it was important to promote boxing in schools, colleges and universities. “I have been to several countries. In England, Japan and America, key boxers come from universities. We should not ignore this factor as your real talent will come from educational institutions,” said Hussain, who was expected to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan but the meeting did not happen.

He will depart for Tokyo on Friday (tomorrow) from Islamabad.Hussain urged K-Electric, for which he played, to revive its boxing team. “Besides, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has helped the sport. National boxers need their support,” he said.

He also offered his help to Pakistan’s elite boxers for training in Japan. “If Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) tells me in advance I have the ability to make all arrangements for training our national boxers in Japan. I am always ready to help Pakistan,” Hussain said.

He was not happy with the way boxing was being managed in the country. “It gives me great pain when I see our boxing in the most pathetic form of its history. There is a need for a revolutionary person who could bring the sport out of the quagmire it is in,” Hussain said.

He reiterated that despite his meritorious services for Pakistan he had not yet been handed over the 120 square yards plot he had been given here at Gulistan-e-Jauhar after winning Pakistan’s only bronze in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

He said that his son Shah Hussain was also busy earning name for Pakistan in international judo.

“Like me my son Shah Hussain also has rendered great services for Pakistan. He has not only won several international medals for the country but also made Pakistan proud when he became the first judoka of the country to feature in Olympics, in 2016 in Rio,” said Hussain, who is scheduled to meet the Managing Director of K-Electric here on Thursday (today) to discuss with him matters of personal interests and boxing. Hussain served K-Electric from 1984 to 1992.