Boxing: Waseem jumps into the professional ring

Pakistan boxer looks forward to the challenge.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Mohammad Waseem is looking forward to an improved show in the ring after sealing his move into professional boxing before adding that in a few months, he will start fighting on the big stage.

Waseem, currently the country’s top boxer, has been offered the chance by the AIBA Professional Boxing (APB) and said that he will stick to bouts in the 52-kilogramme category.

“It’s an honour that I have been chosen by the APB and I’ll use this chance to the best of my abilities,” Waseem told The Express Tribune. “My game is bound to improve as I’ll get quality practice and training camps ahead of big fights.”

Waseem won the gold medal at the 2nd Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Boxing Tournament in Islamabad and clinched third place at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. He also won a gold medal at the 2010 World Combat Games in China and bagged a silver medal at the 2010 Dhaka South Asian Games. The Pakistan boxer also has a bronze medal to his name at the 2011 President’s Cup, earning another third-place finish at the 2009 King’s Cup.

With a number of laurels to his name, Waseem is now all set for the challenges ahead and said that the financial assistance by the APB will also enable him to concentrate on his game. As the number of rounds increase from three, Waseem said that the longer duration of the bout can work to a boxer’s advantage.

“I will train hard to get myself fit for more rounds because it’s an exciting challenge. I’ll get more time in the ring to show my prowess, while more rounds mean that a boxer has time to make a comeback.”

While Waseem failed to qualify for this year’s London Olympics, falling at the final hurdle to a Mongolian boxer in the qualifiers, the boxer was looking to make amends for the failure.

“Losing in second rounds of big events hurt me a lot but I am looking to make up for the defeats.”

Meanwhile, Ali Bakhsh has been nominated by the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) to coach Waseem who is looking to hire a foreign coach instead.

“There are good coaches available in Europe and Kazakhstan and I want to have one of them because they know modern techniques. Their guidance will take me to new heights.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2012.