Discouraged Waseem considers quitting boxing

Commonwealth and Asian Games medallist wants to train abroad for crunch events

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Commonwealth and Asian Games medallist boxer Muhammad Waseem is on the verge of quitting the sport.

The Quetta-based player said he had ceased training for 15 days last month as he can see his dream of qualifying for the 2016 Olympics slipping away.

The 26-year-old has been on his own since October, and despite making several appeals to the Pakistan Sports Board’s (PSB) ministers in Punjab and Balochistan, his requests for receiving proper training sessions in Cuba or the UK have been denied.

According to Waseem, he had his mind set on winning a gold medal at the ASBC Asian Championships and the AIBA World Championships next year. The events will serve as the qualifying rounds for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“I’m certain that I will not participate in the World Championships if I wouldn’t get training sessions and facilities,” Waseem told The Express Tribune. “I’ve been keeping up with my training and my form on my own throughout the career.

“My personal coach Muhammad Tariq had even put his own hard-earned money into my career so that I can win, but the Pakistan Boxing Federation [PBF] and the PSB can’t even provide us with proper facilities and training sessions abroad before the event.

“They will send me to the championship unprepared, but if I lose, it’s my reputation that will be harmed. They don’t realise the level and the standard of preparations needed for such events.”

Grievances upon grievances

Waseem said that he does not even have a good sparring partner in his 52-kg weight category to train with.

“Internationally, boxers get sparring partners who are better than them, but I have to get players from the heavier weight category to spar with. I’ve survived primarily because of my coach, but I can’t ask more from him because we are not rich, and he has his own children to feed.

The boxer revealed that he still has not received his cash award for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. According to the PSB policy, silver-medallists get Rs2 million and bronze medallists receive Rs1 million.

“If I get this money, I’ll put it in my training. I’ll go to Cuba or the UK, and I’ll dedicate every fibre of my being to win a medal at the World Championships,” concluded Waseem.

 

 

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.