PBF sending only three boxers for Olympic qualifiers
Due to lack of support, Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) has decided to send only three boxers for the Asia and Oceania Olympic Qualifying round which will begin in Jordan’s capital Amman from March 3.
Due to lack of support from the federal government and reluctance of the corporate sector to back Olympic sports, Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) has decided to send only three boxers and one coach for the Asia and Oceania Olympi Qualifying round which will begin in Jordan’s capital Amman from March 3.
The PBF wished to send a complete contingent to Jordan but financial limitations and lack of sponsors hurt its cause.
The three boxers selected include Mohammad Asif (52kg), Gul Zeb (69kg) and Mehmood-ul-Hasan (75kg), for the Jordan qualifiers. Arshad Hussain will be accompanying the squad as coach. The squad will leave for Jordan on March 1.
The ministry for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), which handles sports matters, did not even provide facilities to national fighters for training who had to train at the Army Sports Complex, Rawalpindi, for a couple of months.
The Asia and Oceania qualifiers are one of the most important event for Olympics qualification. There was a need of fielding a full-fledged squad which could have boosted the country’s qualifying chances for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
So far five players in different disciplines have made it to the Olympics to be held this summer in Japan.
