PBF to take action against parallel body

LAHORE: Parallel bodies have existed almost in all ages in Pakistan’s sports culture. And always the trend has damaged the country’s sports.

Last week a parallel Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) was found fielding four boxers in the Great Silk Way International Boxing tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan. This event was on the European Boxing Confederation (EUBC) calendar.

The team, featuring Muhammad Hadi (54 kg), Osama (67 kg), Adnan (71 kg) and Umeez (86 kg), returned home on March 29. This correspondent has learnt that the four boxers who had been fielded in this event have no national stature.

IBA’s three-star coach Ali Bakhsh and referee/judge Mohammad Aslam accompanied them during the tournament in which nations from Europe fielded their boxers.

According to sources in the parallel PBF they had been extended invitation for the said event. Sources said that they have received invitations for participation in other international events also and they would try to field national team in those events.

Sources said that this time they did not hold a camp but next time they would like to properly prepare the pugilists.

“We also have an invitation for an event in Moscow. We can manage to send the team to any Asian circuit event,” a source in the parallel PBF said. The matter has raised many eyebrows. When this correspondent asked a government official whether the touring party had got NOC, he said he did not know.

“Actually, we come to know only when a federation approaches us for the NOC. I will check and will then let you know,” an official said. The step of the parallel PBF has sparked reaction in the IBA-recognised PBF.

“It had nothing to do with Pakistan as these people have made misrepresentation and we will take action against them. None of the touring party have any link with the PBF,” an IBA-recognised PBF official told ‘The News’.

The official said they would not let such things happen again. “We will go hard. It’s illegal as they have used the name of the PBF. I have checked the boxers who toured Baku and none of them belong to mainstream circuit,” the official said.

“We will write to the government and to the Azerbaijan Boxing Federation. We will ask them how they can invite a parallel federation to field boxers which is our sole right being a genuine and IBA-recognised federation,” the official said.

After five years of break, the Great Silk Way international tournament was successfully organised in Baku from March 23-29. This elite men and women boxing event lasted for five competition days. As many as 121 boxers from Azerbaijan, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan fought for the medals.