Waseem ends President’s Cup with a bronze

Pakistani pugilist loses to Japanese rival in semi-final.

JAKARTA:

Pakistan flyweight boxer Muhammad Waseem’s campaign at the 21st President‘s Cup International Boxing Championship ended with a bronze medal when he lost his semi-final bout to Japan’s Katsuaki Susa 25-19, following a close contest.

Waseem put up a fight but ultimately failed, as Susa finished the first two rounds with a 16-11 lead.

However, a battling Waseem made every effort to stage a comeback in the final round, which witnessed a nail-biting contest.

The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist landed two killer punches on Susa, forcing the umpire to take a mandatory count. But it was too late for him as he could not make up for the lead he had conceded early in the bout. Waseem questioned the standard of refereeing after losing the match.

“I had a clear edge over him but was deprived of many points in the second and third rounds,” complained Waseem.





Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2011.