Boxer Waseem wants PM to order diplomatic passport for him

KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier professional boxer and former World No1 Mohammad Waseem is in a difficult position because of visa issues.

His gym at Glasgow has been opened after a long closure due to COVID-19 pandemic, but his England visa has expired.

Embassies are closed and if he applies he will have to wait for eight months for residence visa.

The same visa issues had unsettled the experienced boxer for a few months before the outbreak of COVID-19.

He had to miss an event in Dubai due to passport issue as he had applied for Spain visa.

He again faced an issue but was lucky not to miss his bout in a central Asian country when it was cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak.

Now due to visa issue his departure for Glasgow may be delayed.

The only solution to the problem of the former Asian Games bronze medallist is that he should get a diplomatic passport. And the former two-time Commonwealth Games medallist on Sunday requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to order officials concerned to issue him a diplomatic passport. “I have faced a lot of problems during the last few years,” Waseem told 'The News' from his hometown Quetta on Sunday.

“My company MTK Global also wants me to get such a passport and I think the company has already requested the Pakistan government for the purpose but I think no response has been received,” said Waseem who is ranked fourth in the IBF ranking.

“It’s a big issue. My gym has opened and the boxers have started training but I am stuck in Quetta,” Waseem said. “It takes a lot of time to get England residence visa and diplomatic passport is the only solution as it will make the things easier for me,” Waseem said.

Due to the lockdown, Waseem has been facing huge issues in training in Quetta.

“Everything is closed here. Neither gyms facilities are here nor Ayub Stadium is opened. There is no training place and since Eid I have not trained,” Waseem said.

He said that he wants to go to Glasgow as soon as possible and only the PM Imran Khan can resolve his issue.

Waseem last year fought two bouts in Dubai, winning both, against Ganigen Lopez of Mexico and Conrado Tenamor of the Philippines.

During his professional career, Waseem has played 11 bouts, winning ten and losing only one when he went down in the world title clash against Moruti Mthalane of South Africa in July 2018 in Kuala Lumpur.