Pak boxers hope to impress in Asian Boxing despite lack of preparations

KARACHI: National boxers are battling against time to prepare for the Asian Championship slated to be held in Amman, Jordan, from October 30 to November 13.

“No doubt the time is too short but we are trying harder to bring in the fighters to their top shape in the remaining three weeks,” Pakistan coach Arshad Hussain told 'The News' from Rawalpindi.

“Definitely you need ample time for bringing your fighters to their peak form. Before assembling them in Rawalpindi they featured in the inter-services event and their fitness level is not bad. We are working around six hours daily in the camp and are focusing on speed work and skills. If you put load on them at this stage it will get them slow,” said Arshad, also a former Olympian.

“As a coach I will try but I don't think we will get the peak form but will reach to the middle of it. Let's see how it goes,” he said.

“The Asian Championship is too tough, having some strong nations like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Japan, India, Mongolia and Philippines. The other thing is that our pack lacks experience as they will be fielding in the Asian Championship for the first time. But it will definitely help us know them where they stand and how we could further improve them ahead of the Olympic Qualifiers,” Arshad said.

“I think the PBF is serious to give a foreign camp to the fighters before the Olympic Qualifiers and that will be a real boost and we can say that the Asian Championship is a launching pad for the Olympic Qualifiers,” said Arshad, also an IBA 3-star coach.

Pakistan has decided to field three boxers including Zohaib Rasheed, Mohammad Ilyas and Zakir Hussain in the Jordan continental event.

“Ilyas is in better shape and is mentally also tough. Zohaib and Zakir are also improving,” the coach said. Ilyas created ripples in the recently held Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where he won two fights before losing in the featherweight quarter-finals. Zohaib, also an Asian Under-22 bronze medallist, was unlucky not to get his entry included in the Commonwealth Games draws which forced him to return home without featuring in the quadrennial event.

Ilyas and Zakir belong to Army while Zohaib serves in Navy. There fighters are undergoing training at the Army Sports Complex in Rawalpindi. The federation has put in three fighters in each weight category in the camp. Arshad is assisting by coach Nisar Khan in the camp which is being held by the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) through its own resources.

The PBF secretary Col (retd) Nasir Tung will also serve during the Asian Championship as an international technical official (ITO).

“This is a big honour as after 18 years any Pakistani is going to serve as an ITO at this level,” Nasir told 'The News'. Nasir said the PBF has managed accommodation for its fighters and has applied for visas for the Asian Championship.

Pakistan last lifted medal in the 2005 Asian Championship in Vietnam when Mehrullah Lassi, Asghar Ali Shah and Shoukat Ali had claimed golds while Nauman Karim had picked silver.

Since then the nation has badly failed to impress at this stage. In the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Pakistan's Mohammad Waseem had lifted bronze, which is also the last medal the country has grabbed in the Asiad.

The PBF is facing huge financial issues. It finds it difficult due to lack of sate support to field its full-fledged squad in any international event. India is fielding a healthy squad of 13 men and 11 women boxers in the Asian Championship in Jordan.