Boxer Amir backs Super League

Our correspondent

KARACHI: Hardly a couple of days after Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) denied NOC to British boxer Amir Khan for staging Super Boxing League (SBL) in Islamabad in early winter the former two-time world champion and Olympic silver medallist spoke for the support of his league during its formal launch here on Thursday.

“Both amateur and professional boxing are different things. The PBF job is to promote amateur boxing and take it into Olympics while we are here to work for the development of professional boxing,” Amir said.

Amir said that amateur boxing comes under AIBA while they are going to launch SBL under the banner of World Boxing Council (WBC) which is the strongest body in the world that promotes professional boxing.

On June 19 the PBF Executive Committee denied NOC to Amir for holding SBL. And after Amir’s briefing here on Thursday the PBF issued another release which states: “The resolution adopted in the executive committee meeting is mainly based upon the realm of “Pakistan First” as we have always undertaken to serve our motherland with pride, which will stand restricted, due to ineligibility, if our boxers and any official participate in the SBL Pakistan,” the press release said.”

The league being organised under the banner of WBC shall have adverse effects upon national boxing which could have been mitigated if the league is organised through PBF under the AIBA statutes,” it added. “The PBF shall be readily available to assist Amir in his all plans aimed for the promotion and development of boxing in Pakistan once in line with the statutes and rules of AIBA and Constitution of PBF,” the PBF said.

Amir said that Pakistan had great talent and he was there to bring that to a certain platform. “Our aim is to channelise the energy through a proper way,” he said. Also present were the SBL CEO and founder Bill Dosanjh, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, co-owner of Pakhtoon Warriors, renowned musician Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, co-owner of Faisalabad Falcons and owner of Sialkot Shers Jehangir Riaz.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram owns Multan Nawabs. Karachi Cobras, Quetta Gladiators, Lahore Rams and Islamabad Kings are the other franchises of SBL to be held from September 28 to November 3.