AIBA chief vows to support pro-boxing in Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistan’s boxing coach Ali Bakhsh on Tuesday revealed that AIBA’s President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu had told him that he would support Pakistan if it started pro-boxing, writes Alam Zeb Safi.
“After weigh-in session during the World Championships in Doha this month I personally met AIBA chief and asked him what he could do for Pakistan’s boxing,” Ali told ‘The News’ in an interview. “He told me that he would help us if we launched pro-boxing in our country,” he said.
“Other countries have been progressing at a high pace and it is time we took the initiative and start pro-boxing,” the former international said.
Ali accompanied Pakistan’s heavyweight boxer Mehmood-ul-Hasan in Doha where he faltered in his opening bout against an American boxer. He got injured after playing impressively in the beginning.
Hasan had qualified for the World Championships after playing well in the Asian Championship in Bangkok in which eight Pakistani boxers participated.
After Hasan failed to make the cut for Rio Olympics in the World Championships, Pakistan will now be looking to the Asian qualifying round for the next year’s Rio Olympics.
The Asian qualifiers will be held in China in March.
Pakistan had fielded the boxers in the Asian Championship without giving them exposure.
Ali said the PBF would have to take bold initiatives ahead of the qualifiers in China. “The boxers will need at least two months training abroad if we are to qualify for Rio,” Ali said.
“We go directly from home to World Championships and Asian Championship which is not good. If we want our boxers to click in major events we will have to provide them exposure which will raise their confidence level,” the coach said.
“Hasan had not even seen the American with whom he was playing in Doha. What could we expect from him!” Ali pointed out.
“If the authorities are unable to send the boxers abroad they should at least invite a foreign team to Pakistan so that our players could do some sparring with them,” he said.
“Boxers of Qatar had come to Doha to play in the World Championships after spending six months in Cuba, Kazakhstan and Canada. Still they did not qualify for Rio. India had trained the boxers abroad but no Indian boxer could advance to Rio,” Ali said.
“It is a competitive period. If we did not wake up from our deep slumber we will face tougher time in the international circuit,” the coach said.
Ali on Tuesday joined the national camp here at the PSB Coaching Centre.
“We have 16 boxers in the camp, including six from PAF, five from Navy and four from Army,” he said.
“WAPDA held its camp in Quetta, while Army boxers are preparing for their Inter-Services event in Hyderabad,” Ali added.
He said that the PBF planned to hold the National Championship in November during which top athletes would be picked for the Asian qualifying round. “It is yet to be decided how many boxers will be fielded in Asian qualifiers. The PBF will decide this after consulting with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB),” he said.
Pakistan’s top boxer Mohammad Waseem is expected to represent the country in the Asian qualifying round for Olympics.
Waseem early this month made a splendid pro debut when he beat the four-time title holder Min Wook Lee of Korea to win the Korean Boxing Council belt.