Pakistan’s Waseem hungry for boxing comeback

Former WBC silver title holder still ranks among the top ten

KARACHI: Despite a five-month hiatus Pakistan's former World Boxing Council (WBC) silver title holder Muhammad Waseem is still in the top 10 ratings, but hungry for a comeback.

The 31-year-old finds time away from boxing very tough. Waseem last fought against South Africa's Moruti Mthalane in the International boxing federation World Flyweight title bout in July, which he lost.

The Quetta-based pugilist has been in search of the world title for a year now since winning his WBC flyweight silver title in July 2017 against Philippines' Jether Oliva, and then successfully defending it against another Filipino boxer Geimel Magramo in November the same year.

But Waseem had found himself in a bad place as he could not find enough sponsors from Pakistan to back him.

Throughout 2018 he had been looking for better promotion for his fights, while he was aiming to take on Japan's Daigo Higa for the world title, but failed to garner sponsorship money to hold the fight at a neutral venue.

"The professional experience has been a different one, it is tough to just get the kind of promoters too," Waseem told The Express Tribune. My expectations were never met. I thought I would be able to get support from Pakistan but it is all very clear now. I've learned more about the importance of having good promoters. My professional journey has been just as tough as my amateur career during which Pakistan boxing federation (PBF) wronged me many times."

Waseem left for Korea in 2015 and began his professional career and managed to stay undefeated till he met Mthalane, who is a more experienced boxer in the ring.

Waseem has been the most valuable boxer for PBF, winning Commonwealth Games medals; silver in 2014 and bronze in 2010, as well as a World Combat Games gold medal and Asian Games bronze medal.

The PBF stalled his career on various occasions; at one point by giving preference to the British boxer Amir Khan's brother Haroon Khan over him leaving him, like other boxers,  to train with sub-standard facilities, bad diet and lack of vision by the local coaches at the PBF.

He was the first one to call attention to the corruption and apathy in PBF that forced him to quit representing Pakistan at the amateur level altogether and abandon his Olympic dream at the same time.

However, leaving amateur boxing led him to Korea where he proved his worth in professional boxing having nine fights to his name with six knock-outs and only one defeat.

Now Waseem is eyeing a world title as he feels time is running out.

"I want to win this World title, I’m mad but it is what it is," said Waseem, who is in Islamabad. "My target will be to have a fight in the first three months of 2019 and then go for a world title by August. I'm still ranked among top 10 in the WBC ratings, so I can go for the title."

But this time it will not be easy as he does not have the access to quality gyms in Pakistan that are reserved for professional boxers. Waseem is still ranked eighth in WBC.

"In Pakistan where do I find these gyms," asks The Falcon. "There is no professional boxing here; even the boxers with PBF are suffering worse than before. The reason for that is the federation does not have a plan.

"Just the fact that I can't find a professional boxing academy in Pakistan says a lot. I get good practice in my hometown Quetta, I go to the gym where I started to train as a boxer when I was a kid. I see national boxers there too, but none of it is the same. I want to get back in shape before January. I've already wasted enough time. It is about survival now," concluded Waseem.