Maryam pledges support to Wasim

KARACHI: Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has assured the World Boxing Council (WBC) world flyweight silver champion Mohammad Waseem of all support which he would need in his professional career.

The 29-year-old, two-time world silver champion met Maryam at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat at Islamabad on Thursday.

Waseem, who is yet to get the fund which was approved by the federal government, was happy with the promise. “She was very cooperative and was interested in boxing. She promised me that my fund will be released in a few days,” Waseem told ‘The News’ on Friday.

The government has already transferred Rs24 million to Pakistan’s embassy in Washington. But from there due to some complications the fund has not yet been transferred to Waseem and his promoter Andy Kim.

Waseem had been told by an official of Pakistan’s embassy in Washington that they would need a letter from the Pakistan government. When that letter was produced it did not have the account number to which the amount has to be transferred.

The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) then wrote to the federal ministry of the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) which then wrote to the foreign ministry to instruct the embassy to transfer the money.

But so far no development has been made. The issue has prevented Waseem’s promoter Andy Kim from arranging the Quetta-born boxer’s next fight.

On November 27, Waseem defended his title by beating Giemel Magramo of the Philippines in Seoul.