Karachi’s ladies get a chance to box

K-Electric has lined up women’s boxing event for Nov 5

KARACHI: With women’s boxing taking its roots in Karachi, the metropolis’ girls will get a chance to showcase their punching prowess at the K-Electric (KE) Women’s Boxing tournament at the National Coaching Centre on November 5.

The tournament will feature 20 girls from underprivileged backgrounds as they compete in a day-long event, which will have 10 three-round bouts.

“We have been trying to nurture young talent and provide a platform to emerging sports like women’s boxing,” KE Head of Sports Major Mahmood Riaz told The Express Tribune. “With this tournament we hope to unearth new talent and hopefully give them the exposure required to speed up their growth.”

Riaz added that the event is being organised in collaboration with Sindh Boxing Association and District South Boxing Association, while Pakistan Sports Board is also among the facilitators.

Sport’s regional governing bodies formally started women’s boxing in Karachi last year, although pugilists from Lyari and North Karachi had been learning the “Sweet Science” in individual capacity for years.

Younus Qambrani, one of women’s boxing pioneers who trains his daughters among other girls, feels it is high time for sponsors to come forward and help the city’s female pugilists take the next step.

“Women’s boxing represents the spirit of our religion too,” said a philosophical Qambrani. “It is our duty to let our girls play this sport and not dampen their spirits with criticism.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2016.

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