A few years ago a top official of Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) told me in an interview that the federation would establish academies in all major centres of the country.
But the PBF badly failed to succeed in its mission due to financial problems. What the PBF could not do is being done by Amir Khan, the English boxing star of Pakistani descent.
The former two-time world champion, who currently holds the WBC silver welterweight title, has started working on a plan to establish academies in all major centres of Pakistan.
He has signed an MoU with the Sports Board Punjab (SBP) for establishing an academy at the Nishter Park Sports Complex in Lahore which will formally start working in near future.
A few days ago Amir signed an MoU with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for establishing an academy at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad.
Because of the gigantic structure of the Pakistan Sports Complex, with all facilities available for the athletes, the Islamabad academy is expected to be the most effective centre for preparing boxers.
Amir also came to Karachi and announced that he would also establish an academy in the port city which has produced some amazing boxers in the past.
Amir also plans to establish academy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. And his next plan may be to open an academy in Balochistan which has also produced great boxers.
Amir also unveiled his plan to establish AK Trust in Karachi which will be registered with the AK Foundation. It will provide services to people in health and education sectors.
Amir is expected to launch the trust in December as he has now decided to visit Karachi and other cities of Pakistan frequently.
Amir’s uncle Tahir Mehmood told me that they would sit with the coaches and plan how to run these academies.
He said that highly qualified coaches and nutrition specialists from England would be brought to train the budding talent of the country, which has produced only one Olympic medallist (Hussain Shah) despite having an abundance of talent.
In the era of former PBF and AIBA chief, Prof Anwar Chowdhry, Pakistan’s boxing standard was reasonably high but when he left as the PBF chief because of his falling health, boxing affairs came into the hands of incompetent and selfish people who destroyed the sport.
Pakistan last featured in the 2004 Athens Olympics in boxing. And again it is almost certain that no Pakistani boxer will be able to qualify for the next year’s Rio Olympics.
The standard of boxing in Pakistan could be gauged from the fact that during the last 12 years, only Mohammad Waseem has been able to win at major international events.
In this scenario, Amir could turn out to be a messiah for boxing in his country of origin.
If Amir wants to serve Pakistan’s boxing and to produce champions, he must run his academies himself. If he hands them to the local administrators, it will not serve the real purpose.
Running these academies on professional footing will not be a problem for a person like Amir who is a global hero and can run the academies through sponsorship.
The way Amir thinks I hope he will be able to revive the sport in Pakistan. The new generation of boxing will find itself in safe hands.
Besides playing for the country as amateurs, the youngsters will also find enough opportunities to play professional boxing the way Amir has.
He or his father in future could also serve the country’s boxing as president of the PBF.
Amir says if the boys are properly trained and groomed Pakistan could produce several champions.
Although born and brought up in England, he is a Pakistani by heart. He proved it during his recent month-long tour to the country.
In spite of security concerns, he visited almost every important area in Karachi. His visit to Lyari was amazing where he was accorded a rousing welcome by the boxing-mad public. No other star like him could dare visit the area.
Amir should be backed in his cause by the provincial and the central governments. Because of his active involvement in Pakistan’s boxing, the country might host professional boxing fights which would bring a revolution in the country’s sports history.
It would not only improve Pakistan’s image but would also boost its economy.
Let’s support King Khan in his mission.