Former coach hails KMC women’s boxing rings

Ali delighted by govt’s initiative; facility to be completed next year

KARACHI: Former national coach and international referee and judge Barkat Ali, who has been training 40 girls in Lyari, welcomes the construction of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) boxing gym in the area as he feels the public rings are a necessity in the city’s growing girls’ boxing circuit.

Ali coaches the female boxers in Kharadar’s Muslim Azad Boxing Club but the biggest problem faced by these pugilists is that they do not have access to a proper boxing ring.

While the People’s Stadium has separate boxing rings where national championships and major events take place, they are not open for training sessions every day.

And Ali feels that accessibility to proper training equipment is the key to promote any sport.

“We can’t go to the People’s Stadium and have our girls train there. Even male athletes have trouble getting in for training. It is under Pakistan Rangers’ supervision so the security protocols just don’t allow us to train freely,” said Ali.

He further added, “The initiative by the KMC and the government is a great one as we can see four rings, two for males and two for females. It is going to make a world of a difference for us; we need a safe place for girls to train.”

The KMC boxing rings will be ready next year, while Ali is hoping that the facility should be ready in few months.