Eyeing Olympics spot, boxer Asif training at home

KARACHI: Eyeing an Olympics spot, Pakistan’s highly talented young boxer Mohammad Asif is training at home because of the lockdown in Balochistan due to COVID-19.

“Yes, I am training at home. In my room I do physical exercise and then come out of the room to do the rest as I have attached punching bag with a tree in my house,” Asif told ‘The News’ from Quetta on Saturday.

“I have been at home for a week and am worried because of the situation created by coronavirus. My training is also being affected,” said Asif, who is the top seed of Pakistan in the flyweight category. He recently featured in the Asian Qualifying round in Jordan but was unlucky to lose his first fight despite playing well.

Gul Zeb and Mehmood-ul-Hasan were the other members of Pakistan squad under coach Arshad Hussain.

After professional boxer Mohammad Waseem, Asif has been the most prolific flyweight boxer for the country. His positive display at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia impressed the experts.

After continental qualifiers, world qualifying round in Paris this summer is another opportunity for the national fighters to press for seats in the world’s biggest sports event.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been postponed until next year and there is a big chance that world boxing qualifying round would also be delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic which has wreaked havoc in the entire world.

Asif sees a chance for himself in the world qualifying round. “Yes, the qualifiers may be delayed and this will give us more time. I am determined to keep myself fully fit and ready for the world qualifiers,” Asif added.

As the whole country is in lockdown because of the pandemic this is not an easy time for Pakistan’s Olympic hopefuls to undergo training on their own. A boxer can do punching practice against a punching bag at home but sparring with anyone is not possible.

The other day Pakistan boxing coach Arshad Hussain had said that if solid training was imparted to the boxers ahead of world qualifiers then Olympics chances could be created.

He had stressed while speaking to this correspondent that without sending fighters abroad for training it would not be possible to press for the Olympics seat.

Because of lack of state patronage national pugilists failed to receive good training at home ahead of the Asian qualifiers.

Pakistan last featured in boxing in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

In world qualifiers, Pakistan’s boxers will have to reach at least the semi-finals to win Olympics seat.

“It’s tough but I will try my level best to win an Olympics berth,” Asif said.

So far five Pakistani players have qualified for Olympics: shooters Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, Gulfam Joseph and Khalil Akhtar, javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem and Melbourne-based horse-rider Usman Khan.

Tokyo-based Olympian judoka Shah Hussain, Dubai-based former Asian champion karateka Saadi Abbas, wrestlers and weightlifters are also in the hunt for Olympics spots.

Shah Hussain has a higher chance to make it to the Olympics, for the second successive time, as he has already achieved continental quota by occupying Asia’s top spot in the -100 kilogramme competition.

He is ranked 42nd and if he featured in four more qualifying events he could also press for a direct Olympics seat.

Besides, Pakistan will also get a wild card for a female athlete and two swimmers.