Pakistan to send eight pugilists to S Korea

‘Strong’ contingent to compete in Asian championship next month.

KARACHI:

The Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) has decided to send a strong eight-member squad for next month’s Asian Boxing Confederation  Championship, which will be the last international assignment for the national pugilists before this year’s World Boxing Championship, which will serve as the qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympic.

The event that will be held in Incheon, South Korea from August 3 to August 10 will see the participation of pugilists from all the top Asian boxing nations.

The PBF, which usually sends around four boxers in competitions abroad, has sent entries of eight boxers for the championship.

“The purpose is to give international exposure to as many of our boxers as possible,” PBF secretary Akram Khan told The Express Tribune.

“We will be sending eight boxers and our coach will decide who will get a chance,” he said, adding that national coach Ali Baksh would finalise the boxers within a week. “We are using all our resources to help prepare our boxers for the qualifiers.”

The World Boxing Championship will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan in September.

‘UK training tour not
cancelled’

Khan also dismissed the notion regarding the cancellation of the scheduled training tour of the UK, adding that the boxers will be leaving to receive training at WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan’s academy.

“We are waiting for other countries to arrive in the UK,” he said. “We have received the message that other countries will be attending the camp later this month.”







Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2011.