Boxing officials hopeful after election success

Bhutto elected VP of Asian Boxing Confederation.

KARACHI:

The Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) President Doda Khan Bhutto was elected as the Vice-President of the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC) after a clear victory in the body’s elections held recently in Azerbaijan.

Following the results, the PBF is hopeful that the country’s successful run in the ASBC will help the progress of boxing in Pakistan.

“It is definitely a huge boost for our boxing,” the PBF Secretary Akram Khan told The Express Tribune from Azerbaijan.

Khan, who was appointed as the vice-chairman of ASBC’s Referee Judge Commission, said that the federation was now in a better position to convince the countries to send their teams to Pakistan.

“We can now ensure maximum participation in our international tournaments.”

He added that, referring to next year’s Olympics, the PBF can also host a joint training camp of Asian countries successfully unlike last year where majority of the countries skipped the camp after confirming their participation.

Out of 30 votes, the PBF chief succeeded in gathering 22 votes to beat Nepal’s Ravi Raj who got eight votes. The PBF has also nominated Chairman of PBF referee Judge Commission Ali Akbar Shah Qadri and former Olympian boxer Syed Abrar Hussain Shah for ASBC Commissions, the elections of which will be held soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th,  2011.