Boxer Waseem in isolation at home

KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier professional boxer Mohammad Waseem has said that he is in self-isolation and advised people to stay at home in order to contribute to the state efforts to tackle coronavirus pandemic.

“I am in self-isolation. I haven’t left home for the last one week. I advise all Pakistanis to stay safe, stay at home as health is more valuable than anything else,” Waseem told ‘The News’ in a formal chat from his hometown Quetta on Monday.

He demanded that Prime Minister Imran Khan order an investigation into who was responsible for spreading the virus in the country. “There was no such virus in Pakistan then who brought it here,” Waseem questioned.

“Who allowed infected people from Iran to enter Pakistan. It’s a big issue and it is the responsibility of the federal government to deal with this,” Waseem said.

He said that because of the pandemic training is not possible for him. “It’s a big issue. I can’t train. Although I think I should establish a gym at home. All my colleagues in England and Scotland are at home as gyms have been closed. It’s a global issue and we should tackle it by limiting social contacts and staying at home,” Waseem said.

He was scheduled to face former European champion Ryan Farrag in Kazakhstan on March 28 in a flyweight ranking fight. The event was cancelled due to coronavirus outbreak which has taken thousands of lives across the globe. The virus that emerged in Wuhan, China, has now spread across 180 countries of the globe.

The former WBC No1 earlier was scheduled to fight on March 6 in Dubai but he skipped that due to lack of preparation. Waseem a few days ago got injured in a car accident near Multan when his car collided with blockades erected by local police. He along with his coach Mohammad Tariq was going to Quetta from Islamabad.

Waseem, also a former Asian Games bronze medallist, is yet to play a fight this year. He fought twice last year, winning both in Dubai. He is playing under Britain’s boxer management company MTK Global.