Professional boxing league: PBF, Strawberry Management may sign deal soon

KARACHI: Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) and Strawberry Sports Management are expected to sign an agreement soon to initiate the first-ever professional boxing league which will be held under the Olympic pattern and AIBA rules.

“We are going to convene our executive committee meeting soon in which we may enter into a deal with Strawberry Sports Management regarding the professional boxing league which will be held under Olympic pattern,” the PBF secretary Nasir Tung told ‘The News’ on Tuesday.

He said that this would be a franchise-based league and would develop the sport in the country.Nasir also revealed that before going for the league PBF plans to hold a national ranking tournament either in Lahore or Islamabad near the end of November.

“We have already informed all units and have asked them to start preparing for the event. We will select top eight pugilists in each weight who will be able to feature in the league. We will also keep four places open,” Nasir said.

He added that foreign boxers would also be part of the league. “Definitely we will invite foreign boxers to our league but this will become clear when we finalise the deal with the Strawberry Sports Management,” Nasir said.

Strawberry Sports Management held a successful professional kabaddi league early this year with the name of Super Kabaddi League which featured some foreign players too.

The 2020 Olympics is also one of the targets of PBF. At one stage it was feared that boxing would be scratched from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but Nasir said that in his opinion it was not going to happen. “There were fears at one time but I don’t think that it will happen,” he said.

The world boxing governing body (AIBA) is going to elect its president and other office-bearers on November 2-3 in Moscow.