Bilal’s fight in Indonesia declared technical draw

KARACHI: Karachi-based South Waziristan’s emerging boxer Mohammad Bilal Mehsud was unlucky when his World Boxing Council (WBC) Asia silver super lightweight title bout against defending champion Geisler AP of Indonesia ended in a technical draw in Indonesia on Saturday.

In the thrilling fight, Bilal kept an upper hand throughout at the Waringin Sports Hall Jayapura, Indonesia.

The result helped Geisler retain his belt. The ten-round clash had to be stopped in the sixth round after Geisler’s left temple was injured. Bilal also knocked Geisler down in his sixth round with a hook punch. When the battle was stopped, both fighters were tied at 142-142.

According to rules, if a clash is stopped after five rounds it could be declared as a technical draw.

Bilal was not happy with the outcome. “I was unfortunate,” Bilal told ‘The News’. “I knocked him down twice, in the fifth and the sixth rounds, and handed him hectic beating but still the fight ended in a draw,” said the disappointed Bilal.

“You know Geisler was playing in his own town and this was the main reason he was favoured,” said Bilal, who has represented Pakistan in kick-boxing and wushu.

However, he was optimistic about future fights. “Don’t worry, I will beat him in future,” Bilal said, adding that he wanted a re-match and had written to the WBC.

Before this draw, Bilal had played six bouts in his pro career and won all.

Bilal has not represented Pakistan in amateur boxing. He still plays wushu and kick-boxing. Pakistan’s wushu governing body (PWF) president Malik Iftikhar the other day told ‘The News’ that Bilal was better in boxing than in wushu.

Bilal was part of Pakistan’s kick-boxing squad which featured in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in 2017.