Asian Games: Trials to pick boxers after two-week training

KARACHI: Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) will hold trials after a couple of weeks to finalise a six-member men’s squad for the 18th Asian Games slated to be held in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang from August 18 to September 2.

“We plan to hold trials to pick the final squad after a fitness test and a couple of weeks training,” PBF secretary Col Nasir Tung told ‘The News’ on Saturday.

Pakistan will select boxers in six weights out of the initial seven weight categories. Light heavyweight, heavyweight and super heavyweight are not part of the boxing competitions.

The national camp started on June 20 at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad. Some boxers have not yet reported. “We have called 18 boxers to the camp and nine have reported so far. The rest are either on the way or about to leave their homes for Islamabad,” Nasir added.

The PBF had planned to keep 25 boxers in the camp but it had to reduce the strength after PSB and POA decided that the federation should keep 18 boxers in the camp.

Nasir said that six female boxers had also reported at the camp. He said one or two female fighters would be part of the national contingent for the continental competitions.

Nasir said that coaches Arshad Hussain, Mohammad Ramzan and Tariq were already in the camp and Ali Bakhsh was on the way to Islamabad.

The gold medallists of every weight will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The PBF plans to send the selected boxers to Iran for a couple of weeks training.