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.
Showing posts with label The News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The News. Show all posts
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sport wins at last! Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Boxing Tournament shows light at the end of the tunnel
By Alam Zeb Safi
Karachi: If sincere efforts are put in, victory never eludes one's grasp. After the Lankan cricket team came under attack in Lahore early last year, foreign teams were reluctant to visit Pakistan due to security concerns. Several influential persons in the sports circles tried to conduct international events in the terror-hit country after that big mishap in the capital of Punjab, their efforts proved futile.
Finally, the young aspiring president of the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) Doda Khan Bhutto and secretary Muhammad Akram Khan stepped in to make a minor miracle. And they managed to do so by organising the recently concluded Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Boxing tournament in which the pugilists from 20 countries from Asia, Europe and Africa showed their worth.
More interestingly, the PBF president made strenuous efforts to convince the more stubborn India to send its boxers and the neighbouring country responded positively by sending three boxers, a praiseworthy decision which added to the charm of the competitions which ran from January 2-8 at the KPT Benazir Sports Complex in Karachi.
Before the arrival of the teams, people, even the Sindh government dignitaries, were of the view that a maximum two or three teams would come for the event. An attack on the Ashura procession in the provincial metropolis made things doubtful. However, no country pulled out of the extravaganza and made the show successful. Though the Prime Minister and the President of Pakistan did not grace the opening and closing ceremonies, most probably due to security reasons, the federal sports minister and the federal minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination were present at both the occasions.
But the main achievement which made the organisers proud was when, on their invitation, light welterweight World champion Amir Khan arrived with his parents and uncle Tahir Mehmood to witness the final day's proceedings. The 22-year old British-Pakistani inspired everyone with his character. He met all the people irrespective of his stature, had pictures taken with them and gave autographs in such a polite manner which our proud cricketers should also learn.
He also showed his resolve to help Pakistani boxers in future and even promised to train the pugilists in his gym in England.
The presence of 1988 Seoul Olympic bronze medallist Syed Hussain Shah, who was also invited by the PBF, lifted the morale of the organisers. Hussain Shah is settled in Japan with his family where he also trains boxing professionals.
China, who had sent seven boxers, lifted the title by securing four golds, one silver and two bronze medals. They were followed by Syria with two gold and two silver medals. Thailand also got two golds while one gold medal each went to Mongolia, Cameroon and Pakistan. Along with the single gold which the hosts clinched through Mohib Bacha when he defeated his fellow boxer Nadir Baloch in the 48kg final, Pakistan, who had fielded 22 boxers, also claimed three silver and eight bronze medals and around Rs6.5m were given away as cash prizes.
The performance of Pakistan boxers, however, was not satisfactory. Though, 12 of the 22 managed to reach the semifinals, it shocked many when eight of them lost their semifinals bouts in the competitions in which the foreign countries had not even fielded their top boxers.
Pakistan are ahead a tough assignment in the shape of the South Asian Games slated to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 29 to February 9 and Cuban coach Francisco Roldan will have to work hard to improve the techniques of his boxers as Pakistan will face tough opposition from India; which has shown marked improvement in the field these days at international level.
The most talented boxer, Muhammad Waseem (51kg) will lead the team with Niamatullah (54kg), Abid Ali (57kg), Aamir Khan (64kg), Nisar Khan (75kg), Yasir Javed (91kg) and Mir Waiz (91kg plus) as its other members.
Let's also put a cursory glance on the event in general. From an Islamic point of view, the tournament will also be remembered for long as nine foreign boxers, six from Central Africa and three from Cameroon, embraced Islam during a special ceremony here at a local hotel. Mohtamim of Jamia Binoria International Mufti Muhammad Naeem recited Kalima to the young boxers who entered into the fold of Muslim Ummah after being impressed by the behaviour of the Muslim community in general. As far as security arrangements for the event were concerned, so I would say that these did not meet the needs of the tournament. It was a high-profile event in risky environment and it should have been conducted in the style of security which is normally provided to the cricket teams.
The teams' escorting process was fairly good but this correspondent saw that the Sports Complex where the bouts were conducted was not properly sealed. Though there were security personnel deployed around the main building and the traffic was also diverted from that road passing by the main venue but no heavy blockades were erected there and the main complex could have been hit easily by miscreants. In the end, the news might have irked the officials of the PBF that one kilogramme bomb was found under the ring before the start of the final day's proceedings. But there was no reality in the news item and it might have been a conspiracy to sabotage the bold effort of the organisers as why the nut-bolts and other things which the bomb disposal squad claimed to have found under the ring were not shown to the Sports Manager of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and the SHO responsible for security of the complex.
The event ended safely and I hope better arrangements would be done in future. For the local fans, the final day was frustrating as even those people were not allowed to enter the venue, who were issued special invitations cards.
Moreover, the functions during the competitions were marred by an unprofessional announcer, one of the PBF officials, who had no knack to hold the attention of the people.
In spite of the few drawbacks, the tournament was a big success and the effort should be appreciated. The event opened the doors for other international competitions. The teams, which stayed here during all these days, were all praise for the hospitality they were given and the way they were treated. All of them, including the Indians, wished to visit again and again. The PBF also showed its determination to make the spectacle a regular annual feature. This was for the first time that such a huge boxing extravaganza was hosted by Pakistan and that, too, in vulnerable environment, which is a huge success.
Karachi: If sincere efforts are put in, victory never eludes one's grasp. After the Lankan cricket team came under attack in Lahore early last year, foreign teams were reluctant to visit Pakistan due to security concerns. Several influential persons in the sports circles tried to conduct international events in the terror-hit country after that big mishap in the capital of Punjab, their efforts proved futile.
Finally, the young aspiring president of the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) Doda Khan Bhutto and secretary Muhammad Akram Khan stepped in to make a minor miracle. And they managed to do so by organising the recently concluded Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Boxing tournament in which the pugilists from 20 countries from Asia, Europe and Africa showed their worth.
More interestingly, the PBF president made strenuous efforts to convince the more stubborn India to send its boxers and the neighbouring country responded positively by sending three boxers, a praiseworthy decision which added to the charm of the competitions which ran from January 2-8 at the KPT Benazir Sports Complex in Karachi.
Before the arrival of the teams, people, even the Sindh government dignitaries, were of the view that a maximum two or three teams would come for the event. An attack on the Ashura procession in the provincial metropolis made things doubtful. However, no country pulled out of the extravaganza and made the show successful. Though the Prime Minister and the President of Pakistan did not grace the opening and closing ceremonies, most probably due to security reasons, the federal sports minister and the federal minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination were present at both the occasions.
But the main achievement which made the organisers proud was when, on their invitation, light welterweight World champion Amir Khan arrived with his parents and uncle Tahir Mehmood to witness the final day's proceedings. The 22-year old British-Pakistani inspired everyone with his character. He met all the people irrespective of his stature, had pictures taken with them and gave autographs in such a polite manner which our proud cricketers should also learn.
He also showed his resolve to help Pakistani boxers in future and even promised to train the pugilists in his gym in England.
The presence of 1988 Seoul Olympic bronze medallist Syed Hussain Shah, who was also invited by the PBF, lifted the morale of the organisers. Hussain Shah is settled in Japan with his family where he also trains boxing professionals.
China, who had sent seven boxers, lifted the title by securing four golds, one silver and two bronze medals. They were followed by Syria with two gold and two silver medals. Thailand also got two golds while one gold medal each went to Mongolia, Cameroon and Pakistan. Along with the single gold which the hosts clinched through Mohib Bacha when he defeated his fellow boxer Nadir Baloch in the 48kg final, Pakistan, who had fielded 22 boxers, also claimed three silver and eight bronze medals and around Rs6.5m were given away as cash prizes.
The performance of Pakistan boxers, however, was not satisfactory. Though, 12 of the 22 managed to reach the semifinals, it shocked many when eight of them lost their semifinals bouts in the competitions in which the foreign countries had not even fielded their top boxers.
Pakistan are ahead a tough assignment in the shape of the South Asian Games slated to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 29 to February 9 and Cuban coach Francisco Roldan will have to work hard to improve the techniques of his boxers as Pakistan will face tough opposition from India; which has shown marked improvement in the field these days at international level.
The most talented boxer, Muhammad Waseem (51kg) will lead the team with Niamatullah (54kg), Abid Ali (57kg), Aamir Khan (64kg), Nisar Khan (75kg), Yasir Javed (91kg) and Mir Waiz (91kg plus) as its other members.
Let's also put a cursory glance on the event in general. From an Islamic point of view, the tournament will also be remembered for long as nine foreign boxers, six from Central Africa and three from Cameroon, embraced Islam during a special ceremony here at a local hotel. Mohtamim of Jamia Binoria International Mufti Muhammad Naeem recited Kalima to the young boxers who entered into the fold of Muslim Ummah after being impressed by the behaviour of the Muslim community in general. As far as security arrangements for the event were concerned, so I would say that these did not meet the needs of the tournament. It was a high-profile event in risky environment and it should have been conducted in the style of security which is normally provided to the cricket teams.
The teams' escorting process was fairly good but this correspondent saw that the Sports Complex where the bouts were conducted was not properly sealed. Though there were security personnel deployed around the main building and the traffic was also diverted from that road passing by the main venue but no heavy blockades were erected there and the main complex could have been hit easily by miscreants. In the end, the news might have irked the officials of the PBF that one kilogramme bomb was found under the ring before the start of the final day's proceedings. But there was no reality in the news item and it might have been a conspiracy to sabotage the bold effort of the organisers as why the nut-bolts and other things which the bomb disposal squad claimed to have found under the ring were not shown to the Sports Manager of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and the SHO responsible for security of the complex.
The event ended safely and I hope better arrangements would be done in future. For the local fans, the final day was frustrating as even those people were not allowed to enter the venue, who were issued special invitations cards.
Moreover, the functions during the competitions were marred by an unprofessional announcer, one of the PBF officials, who had no knack to hold the attention of the people.
In spite of the few drawbacks, the tournament was a big success and the effort should be appreciated. The event opened the doors for other international competitions. The teams, which stayed here during all these days, were all praise for the hospitality they were given and the way they were treated. All of them, including the Indians, wished to visit again and again. The PBF also showed its determination to make the spectacle a regular annual feature. This was for the first time that such a huge boxing extravaganza was hosted by Pakistan and that, too, in vulnerable environment, which is a huge success.
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