Olympic qualifiers: Protests mar preparations

Boxers unhappy with coach’s appointment for training camp.

KARACHI: A day after Pakistan shooting contingent’s dismal show at the Asian championship saw its chances of making it to the Olympics finish, the country’s boxing squad appeared to be sliding towards a similar fate.

Several pugilists have not yet reported to the training camp for the Asian Boxing Championship – the last chance for Pakistan to make it to the Olympics – due to differences with the country’s boxing federation on the choice of coach, just weeks before the qualifiers for the mega event begin in Kazakhstan.

Several key boxers, including Commonwealth Games medallist Mohammad Waseem, have not yet reported for the training camp, despite it being underway for almost two weeks.

The Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) had invited 13 pugilists to the camp that started on January 10 for the event. However, only two boxers reported on the opening day, while four pugilists are still missing.

According to one of the boxers, the coaches appointed by the PBF for the camp have led to the dull response. The PBF replaced coach Ali Baksh, who had been associated with national boxers for the last three years, and appointed Abdul Majeed and Zaigham Maseel to supervise the camp.

“Majeed’s attitude wasn’t good in the last camp he supervised,” the boxer told The Express Tribune. “We wanted to register a protest before joining the camp. It’s hurt our preparations but we’re not responsible for it. The PBF has appointed a controversial coach who is not fully qualified for the job.”

Meanwhile, the PBF Secretary Akram Khan said that Baksh was removed due to lack of results.  “We haven’t seen much achievement in the last three years,” said Khan. “This issue will only be settled once the Cuban coach Renaldo Alvarez Ulacia arrives. We’ve sent reminders to the Cuban authorities regarding this.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd,  2012.