Boxing camp lauded despite lack of participation

Sri Lankan coach Julio Santhana has termed the joint-training camp as a positive step by the PBF.

ISLAMABAD: Sri Lankan coach Julio Santhana has termed the joint-training camp as a positive step by the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) and believed that the initiative will help promote the sport in the region.

Santhana, the Cuba-based coach, said his boxers were striving to make an impact at the international stage and learnt a lot during the camp.

“It was a unique idea by the PBF and I thank them for holding the camp as our boxers got some useful tips,” Santhana told The Express Tribune.

“We are now expecting to win medals at the Commonwealth Games as our boxers have shown significant improvement after the camp.”

Sri Lanka, which was the only foreign team to take part in the joint-training camp underway at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad since August 25, left earlier this week.

Six other countries including Central Africa, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya also confirmed their participation but later pulled out due to different reasons.

Santhana felt that the camp was hurt by the absence of these countries but was a fruitful experience.

“It would have been thrilling had these countries come, but still it was a learning experience for all boxers who attended the camp,” said Santhana.

‘Pakistan have quality boxers’

Describing Pakistan as one of the top amateur boxing nations in the region, Santhana said his team learnt a lot from the local boxers.

“Pakistan have quality boxers who are capable of winning medals in mega events. Our players were lucky enough to get a chance to train along with them,” said the coach.

Four Sri Lankan boxers, who attended the camp, participated in practice sessions with a group of 22 local pugilists including England-based Amir Khan and Mohammad Wasim, who recently won the gold medal at the Combat Games in China.

Make camp a regular feature

Experienced Sri Lanka’s light-weight boxer Kamal Sameera has said that joint-training camps should be held on regular basis.

“It was a great experience and these kind of camps should be held on regular basis from now on,” said Sameera.

“It gives the boxers from different countries an opportunity to learn from each other’s techniques and this is a unique and thrilling experience. We learnt a lot at this camp from Pakistan as well.

“I hope that there is more participation in the future as this camp was hampered by the absence of a lot of countries.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2010.