Cuban boxing coach to arrive by Nov 10

KARACHI: In a bid to prepare national boxers for the Asian qualifying round for Olympics, Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) has struck a one-year deal with a Cuban coach Comas.
“Yes, we have finalised the deal with Comas. We have also given the name to Pakistan Sports Board (PSB). The PSB has forwarded it to the ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) for approval,” PBF secretary Iqbal Hussain told ‘The News’ on Monday.
“Comas is an AIBA three-star coach and has coached in several countries. He will help our boxers prepare well for the Asian qualifying round for Olympics,” Iqbal said.
The Cuban will be given 3000 dollars per month. “His demand was higher but he agreed on 3000 dollars. The PSB has agreed to pay him the amount,” he said.
Iqbal said he was confident that the Cuban would arrive by November 10.
Pakistan hired the services of Cuban coach Francisco Hernandez Roldan in 2009 to prepare pugilists for the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers.
Iqbal said they would try to field boxers in all ten weights in the Asian qualifying round for Olympics, which will be held in China in March next year.
“We will take full chance and go with full strength,” said Iqbal.
Pakistan’s heavyweight boxer Mehmood-ul-Hasan last month participated in the World Championships in Doha but failed to qualify for Rio Olympics as he fell to an American boxer in his first bout.
Hasan had qualified for the World Championships after playing well in the Asian Championship in Bangkok in August.
Iqbal said that the PBF had also requested PSB for a foreign tour for the boxers ahead of the qualifiers. “We have told the PSB that we would like to send our boxers to Cuba and it has agreed,” Iqbal said.
He said the PBF was going to hold the National Championship here from November 25-29.
This will be after almost three years that the national event will be organised.
Currently 21 boxers are training here at the PSB Coaching Centre under the supervision of coach Ali Bakhsh.
“WAPDA’s and Army’s boxers have left the camp as they are holding their own camps for the National Championship,” Iqbal said.