Waseem plans to resume training in Glasgow near March-end

KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier professional boxer Mohammad Waseem plans to resume his training in Glasgow at the end of next month for his next fight whose details are not yet known.

“I am going to get married on February 27. And after spending some time with my family I will move to Glasgow by mid-March to resume my preparations for my next fight,” Waseem told ‘The News’ in an interview from Islamabad on Wednesday.

“I don’t know exactly whether I will go for one more ranking fight or will directly opt for a world title shot. Personally I think I should go for a world title shot,” the former WBC No1 said.

Waseem is going to get married with a Karachi-based dentist.

Waseem has so far played 12 bouts, winning 11 with eight knock-outs. His last win was against Jenny Boy Boca of the Philippines on December 19, 2020, in Lahore, his first fight on home soil. Waseem won that fight through technical knock-out in the eighth round of the ten-round showdown.

Waseem is currently ranked fourth in the IBF rankings. The top two seats of the flyweight category in which Waseem plays are empty. The No3 is Jayson Mama of Philippines.

The former two-time WBC world flyweight silver champion Waseem spoke on various subjects. He showed great concerns over the way sports are being governed in Pakistan and the way the state and corporate sector deal with the country’s top sports brands.

“I am worried about Pakistan’s sports,” Waseem said. “Here neither the state nor the corporate sector is serious in supporting the top players. I am a brand but I have no sponsor in Pakistan. I want to tell these people that we should learn from foreign nations how they support the world’s leading players,” said Waseem, also a former Asian Games bronze medallist.

“Look, I am working these days with the world’s leading boxers management company, MTK Global. You will be amazed to know how it keeps me perfect in everything,” the 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist said. “My every movement and every activity is smartly covered. I have to do nothing but just to pick my bag and move to Glasgow or any other place where I have to train or fight. It manages sparring partners for me which is very expensive if you bring someone from abroad. It has arranged a top nutrition specialist for me. It takes care of my health, it manages that food for me which I need. It is spending huge money on me,” Waseem said. “A few days before my departure for Pakistan from Glasgow for Lahore last year I went to Liverpool where my brain was scanned for around one hour and 45 minutes in order to know whether there is any issue,” Waseem said.

“If I undergo training three times in a year MTK Global spends heavy funds on me,” he said.

“I know that MTK Global is spending on me more in a year than the Pakistan government is spending on its top sportsmen of the country in the entire calendar year,” Waseem said.

“I have trained and fought in the entire world. When I was in the US everything was free for me. Even my medical was free. After managing my medical treatment the respective centre used to give me a few hundred dollars and a bag carrying chocolates and other material as a token of honour. The people of the US love sportsmen and that is why they have developed so much,” he said.

“The same is in Glasgow where people love me,” he said.

“We should also respect our sports brands who are our top athletes and we should develop them properly,” Waseem said.