Sindh Women Championship: Anum eagerly awaits landmark boxing event

Lyari-based teenage pugilist keen on smashing stereotypes to bits

KARACHI: Teenage pugilist Anum Qambrani believes the inaugural Sindh Women Boxing Championship, set to be staged next month, will be a crucial step for boxing among Pakistani women.

The 17-year-old from Lyari trains with her father and coach Muhammad Younus Qambrani at the Pak Shaheen Lyari Boxing Club, where they have at least 10 more girls practicing for the Sindh Championship.

Anum said that the training camp began three months ago and the players are enthusiastic about learning the sport. “I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for some time,” she told The Express Tribune. “The athletes are very excited. We train early in the morning and have even increased the duration of our practice from one to two hours. This event will give us some perspective and idea as to how much we need to improve.”



According to the Sindh Boxing Association, the championship will feature two teams from Karachi, while boxers from Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpur Khas and Larkana are also scheduled to take part in the event, which begins on January 13 at the People’s Stadium.

Anum feels that while the first edition of the championship will be a test of the players’ skills, it is equally important for the participants to respect each other.

“I would like to see a good level of competition, but it’s going to be about supporting our opponents too,” she said. “It may seem that we are fighting each other, but in reality we are fighting against the odds by taking up boxing.”



Meanwhile, Anum’s coach Younus feels that if given the right exposure and facilities, Pakistani female boxers can win international accolades too.

“I believe our boxers can shock the world,” claimed Younus. “I do want Anum to go for the South Asian Games as well, but the provincial championship will be the starting point.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2015.

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