Girls boxing championship today

KARACHI: K-Electric Girls Boxing Championship 2016 was launched on Friday here at a glittering ceremony at Marriot Hotel.

In the one-day event, which will be conducted at the PSB Coaching Centre on Saturday (today), 20 girls will compete in ten weight categories.

The girls, who will be appearing in the slots, belong to all the five districts of the metropolis.

The launching ceremony was graced by MPA Sania Naz. Also present were the leading officials of K-Electric, the 2010 Dhaka South Asian Games gold medallist Nasim Hameed, hockey Olympian Mansoor Ahmed and Pakistan’s boxing coach Ali Bakhsh, who also coaches women boxers.

The boxers also did some padding with coach Ali Bakhsh in the ring which had been specifically arranged for the purpose.

KE has collaborated with the District South Boxing Association which is led by football organiser Nasir Karim.

Sania Naz said that she would support women boxing. “I will become the voice of women. These young female boxers can go a long way and become stars of our country,” Sania said.

“There is abundance of talent in Karachi, particularly in Lyari,” she said.

KE’s Zehra Mehdi said that KE was focusing on the youth development.

“KE has already produced 3000 players in different sports disciplines who have played and are playing for the country,” she said.

“KE aims to provide a platform to both genders and I hope this event will encourage girls to take up the sport,” she said.

KE’s head of marketing and communication Syed Fakhar Ahmed said: “KE has a strong affiliation with sports and has always been at the forefront to nurture youth, providing them with the resources and guidance to inspire future sportspersons. By organizing the county’s first female boxing tournament, we are creating a strong platform for these girls to demonstrate their skills.”