Pakistan boxing on the decline ahead of London 2012
KARACHI: The game of boxing is on the decline with the passage of time in Pakistan as none of the boxers has the capability to fetch the country a gold in the next year’s London Olympics.
Pakistan Boxing
We already missed the prospect through World Championships where Quarter-Finalists guaranteed their seats for London Olympic.
Some controversies already spoiled Pakistani boxer’s training before the World Championships which was staged in September this year in Baku, Azerbaijan. Muhammad Wasim, who is one of the best boxers in Pakistan and took bronze medal at Delhi Commonwealth Games, Gold medal in Combat Games and has many other international medals, wasn’t mentally organized for the Baku mega event because Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) didn’t allow him to take part in his famous weight category, which is 52kg.
Some news were appeared in some sections of the media about this controversy. According to media reports depressed boxer Wasim was refused to taking part in the World Championships in the 49kg weight category and threatened to pull out from the mega event.
If that wasn’t enough, the International boxing Association (AIBA) disqualified Haroon Khan to represent Pakistan in the World Championships because the boxer had represented England at junior level.
Haroon Khan represented Pakistan in Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010 and took bronze medal wearing green shirt, but this time the AIBA didn’t allow him to represent Pakistan in WBC in Baku. After the PBF officials lost Haroon Khan only then they allowed Wasim to take part in 52kg but by that time he had already lost his concentration and composure.
Due to internal politics at the Pakistan Boxing Federation, the officials failed to fight Haroon Khan case at the AIBA as one fails to understand how the world boxing authority can disallow a boxer who has already represented Pakistan at world leel.
After losing Haroon Khan, Pakistan squad was reduced only to three boxers. Only three boxers? The big question, isn’t it? Pakistan had sent six boxers last year to Commonwealth Games 2010 but this time they could only prepare three boxers for such a huge event. Can Pakistan do impressive with only three boxers, not many would expect anything.
Before the last year’s Commonwealth Games, Vice President of Pakistan Boxing Federation Iqbal Hussain took various steps for uplifting the confidence level of boxers some of which are mentioned below:
1: Cash incentives were announced for the winning boxers in three categories for Gold, Silver and bronze,
2: A psychologist was hired who delivered lectures in the national camp,
3: Good food and residence in the camp for national boxers,
4: Iqbal Hussain met boxers off and on and solved their problems instantly,
5: Vice president and the camp commandant Iqbal Hussain kept monitoring performance and training of the boxers at the national camp.
After some politics and internal affairs Iqbal Hussain is now inactive and the present PBF officials have no time to monitor national camp neither they show any intention to do something to bring about a visible change in these boxers’ game, even they don’t even know what is going on in the camp or off the field.
The PBF has forgotten its incentive plan worth Rs10,000,000 for gold medalist boxers in any international event Rs5,000,000 for Silver and Rs2,500,000 for Bronze medalist boxers, but fighters who secured medals in President Cup in Thailand, Combat Games in China, Commonwealth Games in India and South Asian Games in Dhaka are still awaiting their rewards.
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