Training in cold weather to help boxers, says head coach

LAHORE: At a time when senior boxing coach Tariq Siddiqui got seriously ill due to extreme cold weather, the country’s head coach Arshad Hussain has said said that training in “tough weather” would be helpful for the boxers ahead of the Olympics Qualifiers.

“We have to train in such hostile weather as our boxers will be going to Italy for the first world qualification round where the weather will also be very cold,” Arshad told The News on Saturday.

“Our boxers will get used to such tough conditions,” Arshad was quick to add. Tariq has spent four days at hospital.

Tariq, who was imparting training to the national boxers preparing for the Olympics Qualifiers, remained under treatment in Room No 336 of the Officers Ward of the WAPDA’s hospital here.

He was going to be discharged from the hospital on Saturday but his condition was still not good.

Tariq was handling the national camp along with Arshad and former world bronze medallist Nauman Karim here at the Railways Sports Complex. Tariq used to travel around 50 kilometres daily on motorcycle.

As many as seven male and five female boxers are training here to prepare for the Paris Olympics Qualifiers.

Arshad said that the boxers’ fitness has improved a lot during the last couple of weeks. “We have worked very hard during the last two weeks and I am happy that the boxers’ fitness has improved a lot,” Arshad said.

He said he is planning to induct a few more boxers in the camp.

“I have planned to call a few more boxers to the camp as we need around three sparring partners for boxers, especially the top seeds Zohaib Rasheed and Fatima, who are our main hope in the Qualifiers,” Arshad said.

“Sanaullah and Mohammad Qasim are also scheduled to join the camp in the next few hours. We have asked them to join the camp as soon as possible,” said Arshad.

He said that they train daily for around five hours. “We work hard for five hours daily. We have also been given a hall where we can train after evening in cold weather. We take care of our fighters and have managed full protection,” claimed Arshad, an IBA three-star coach.

He said that next week he would be meeting the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) secretary Col Nasir Tung and they would discuss the future plans. “We will put our heads together next week to decide how many boxers we should send for the Qualifiers. We will also discuss chances of foreign training for the fighters and will discuss some other matters of great importance, including financial matters,” Arshad said.