Determined Waseem eyes gold at Asian Games

Pakistan boxer disappointed with team’s lack of preparation.

KARACHI: Commonwealth Games medal-winning boxer Muhammad Waseem believes that despite the national squad’s lack of preparation before the Asian Games he is still motivated towards winning gold.

According to him, the lack of facilities and international exposure before a major event like the Asian Games (starting September 19) may have impeded his training, but he was determined to make up for his defeat at the Commonwealth Games 52kg final.



“After the Commonwealth Games, I went back home and I could see that my family wanted me to win the gold,” the Quetta-based pugilist told The Express Tribune. “It’s important for me to win this time.

“Despite the facilities and the training issues, we still want to compete for the country.  We’re constantly under stress, not knowing whether we’ll be going to the event or not, but we still carry on training. Only hope keeps us going.”

Waseem said that the six-member boxing team was meant to leave for Incheon on September 10, but so far they had not received confirmation regarding their departure.

“I’ve made up my mind, I train hard, but I’ll know that I’m going to Asian Games when I’ll be in the airplane. Sadly this is how it has been ever since I can remember. It’s Pakistan.”

‘Suggestions to go abroad turned down’

The 27-year-old said that he had suggested staying in the UK after the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow in order to train with the more professional coaches.

“’I’ve been training for at least five hours a day. But we need exposure and better boxers to practice with. Since we couldn’t stay in the UK, I suggested that we should train in Cuba or Kazakhstan for at least 20-25 days before the Asian Games, but that was not on the cards either.

“We should’ve left for Incheon at least two weeks earlier to train there; other teams such as the hockey contingent have left, but we’re still stuck here.

“The only thing that helped a little was when we roped in a coach from England for a short time period.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan Boxing Federation Secretary Iqbal Hussain said that the team is expected to leave for the Games on September 17.

“We were supposed to leave on September 12,” said Hussain. “Our boxers will still get a week in Incheon because our event will begin on September 24.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2014.

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