Boxing event to attract 50 nations

Shaheed Benazir International tournament to be held next month.

KARACHI: After a three-month delay, the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) is set to host the second edition of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Boxing Tournament following the government’s approval of the Rs30million budget.

The five-day tournament, which was scheduled to be held in July in Islamabad, will now be held from October 24 in the same city.

“The event is set to happen after the approval of funds,” the PBF Secretary Akram Khan told The Express Tribune. “We’ll have to sort out some doubts on the funds if the Rs30 million is just for the boxing tournament or should also be used for the Olympic preparations.

“In either case, the tournament will happen.”

The secretary said that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani will be the chief guest for the opening ceremony to be held on October 21 at the Pakistan Sports Board. The teams will start arriving from October 18 and Khan was confident of staging a good show where around 50 countries are expected to take part.

Tournament getting good response

“We’ve invited around 60 countries and have got a good response,” said Khan while adding that the International Amateur Boxing Association had also given the green signal for the event. “We’re giving a very good accommodation package to the participants and that’s why we are getting the positive response.

“In some cases we are also offering tickets to the boxers to ensure maximum participation.”

The first edition of the event was a roaring success that saw boxers from around 50 countries in action in January 2010.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th,  2011.