Boxing: Waseem seeks Haroon fight to resolve issue

Boxer remains adamant to fight in the 52-kg category at Olympic qualifiers.

KARACHI: Mohammad Waseem has proposed arranging fights between him and UK-based Haroon Khan to decide Pakistan’s ‘best’ boxer to resolve the weight issue, which has become a dilemma for the country as they bid to qualify for the London Olympics.

The Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) wants to choose Haroon, younger brother of world champion Amir Khan, for the 52-kilogramme (kg) category of the upcoming tournament in Kazakhstan in March next year as it believes the UK-based boxer  has a better chance of qualifying for the Olympics. The federation also wanted to send Haroon to the World Championships, a tournament which also served as a qualifier for next year’s Olympics, before the world boxing body did not clear him for representing Pakistan at the event.

The PBF’s stance of including Haroon in the 52-kg category, which has seen Waseem take part, is based on the boxer’s high-profile training at his brother’s academy. It also means that Waseem will have to take part in the 49-kg event, which saw him win a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games last year.

However, Waseem has put forward a different solution. “Only the best boxer should represent Pakistan in the category,” Waseem told The Express Tribune. “To decide this, the PBF should hold fights between me and Haroon and the winner should get the chance.”

Waseem added that he was maintaining his stance to fight in the 52-kg category due to health reasons. “I can’t afford to reduce my weight further because it will make me weak.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th,  2011.