Nadir Baloch knocks out Asad Jutt

Pugilist claims PPBF title with first-round stoppage

KARACHI: National super bantamweight champion Nadir Baloch won the Pakistan Professional Boxing Federation (PPBF) title by knocking out Asad Jutt in the first round of their bout at Amir Khan Boxing Academy in Islamabad on November 30.

Baloch is one of those pugilists who have moved away from the Pakistan Sports Board-affiliated Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) due to its failure to organise any national championship for the last two years, leaving the likes of him with no choice but to find alternative options with the PPBF.

"It was a good fight," Baloch told The Express Tribune. "PPBF has emerged as a real alternative to PBF. It is the right platform, and with this last fight too, I've attracted some attention from the people abroad."

Baloch, who also won the Universal Boxing Organization's super bantamweight title by knocking out Tanzania's Juma Fundi on March 23 in Quetta, feels he is better off with PPBF.

"I didn't even go to the PBF trials for Commonwealth Games because I know that selection there would not be on merit," he said. "I'm not earning much with PPBF either but I hope that the sponsors will come forward. I want to follow in the footsteps of World Boxing Council Silver flyweight champion Muhammad Waseem's footsteps."

He further said that the experience of fighting in Islamabad was good but he missed the crowd of Quetta and wants to see more bouts staged in Balochistan as he believe that the people there are more interested in boxing.

"Quetta is different," he said. "I feel People in Balochistan like boxing more. In Islamabad it was a very limited crowd, but I'm hoping this bout would help me get some sponsors."