'Real boxers are born on the streets'

By Rabia Ali, Rafay Mahmood and Samia Saleem

His expressions stern, his determination sheer, his fists tough, and his looks deadly, four-year-old Muzammil turns up at the boxing club in his neighbourhood in Lyari every evening to exercise and learn the techniques of the game.

Muzammil aspires to emulate his eldest brother, Dur Muhammad, and become an international boxer; whether or not his dreams are realised, depends on institutional factors beyond the control of ordinary citizens. "Competitions such as these are for winning the hearts of the people, and letting them feel important about what they do, said Nawab Baloch, a boxing coach in his 60s who has been training young pugilists for over 35 years. "This can only be made possible if the government starts conducting talent hunt on the streets of Lyari, because real boxers are born on the streets, and not in the sitting rooms of any organisation," Baloch asserted.

The veteran coach's views are rooted in history: Lyari has produced a number of boxers who brought acclaim and respect for Pakistan. Mehrullah, the Busan Asian Games gold medallist, Dur Muhammad and Shoaib Rasheed, the SAF Games champions, Ali Muhammad, the best boxer at the 2005 Asian junior championship, and the Asian cadet championship's best boxer, Mohammad Nisar, are just a few noteworthy pugilists produced in Lyari.

Despite this illustrious history, residents of Lyari are given barely any support or formal training and facilities by the government, another coach Murad Bux told Kolachi. "In order to reach the top tier in boxing, one needs to practice with full attention and keep their body physically fit and free of other stresses," Bux said. "Boxing is a very strenuous sport, and our children grow up seeing boxers and naturally develop a love and ability for the sport," he said, but added that taking care of the boxer's body is critical. "This requirement cannot be fulfilled if one is working and has other responsibilities. The pugilists have to fight their way up, and it is not possible to box properly if one has to earn a living for his family. This is the reason why many a great talent in Lyari dies at a very young age, under the load of responsibilities and social needs," Bux told Kolachi.

Bux's students have landed in Pakistan Rangers Boxing Club and have even participated in a number of events. Yet Bux, who has been training enthusiasts to become boxers since the past 20 years, has never been supported by the government to encourage the growth of the game in Lyari.

Karachi South Boxing Association (KSBA), Secretary General, Asghar Muhammad Baloch meanwhile asserted that in Lyari, boxing is not seen as merely a sport, but complete lifestyles are built around healthy routines to ensure that one is completely prepared. "Our youth doesn't indulge in petty habits, such as eating Paan, beetle nut, smoking, drugs or even caffeinated drinks, such as tea or coffee, which are said to affect the stamina of a player," said Asghar Baloch.

While the KSBA official claimed that about 10 to 20 people participated from Lyari in the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Boxing Tournament held recently, Nawab Baloch argued that coaching is not about spending money on boxers, it is about teaching them the required skills. However, he maintained, this could only be achieved if the government intends to back the completion of such a task.

Having coached Ali Baloch and a number of other boxers who made it in the big time, Nawab Baloch believed that boxers in Lyari have a lot of potential, but the official process of selecting boxers ruins everything. "Boxing is in our blood, and tough sports are what the people of Lyari want to specialise in, because it takes a lot of courage and strength to fight. Unfortunately, the real spirit of the game is not coming out in the ring these days," Nawab Baloch said.

The veteran coach was of the opinion that in the international tournament, there was not a single 'knock-out,' which in itself, is disrespecting the game. "If the authorities will keep real boxers away from the game through their policy of favouritism, then neither the game nor the talent will be able to prosper," he said. "The problem lies in the judgment system," Nawab Baloch continued, "the judges are biased, and even if any deserving boxer successfully makes it to the selection ring, the judges already have their decisions made."

Nawab Baloch said that paying hefty amounts of money to foreign coaches to train Pakistani boxers is a "waste of money and talent" due to two reasons: firstly, the communication gap between coach and trainer; and secondly, the fact that a coach who has groomed a boxer from childhood is well aware about his physique than anyone who has become acquainted to him for lesser periods of time. "The government needs to finance the clubs and coaches in Lyari, instead of bringing in foreign coaches, as the money paid to one foreign coach can be given to four local coaches, and the result would be far better," Nawab Baloch added. "Even if they bring in foreign boxers and coaches, but if the upcoming boxers from Lyari do not have access to them, then how do you propose improving the state of boxers from Lyari?" Nawab questioned.