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| June 2, 2002 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 20,1423 |
Army boxers denied permission
KARACHI, June 1: Pakistan’s run-up to next month’s Commonwealth Games boxing received a bitter blow Saturday when two of three pugilists were denied permission by their parent organization.
A spokesman of the Pakistan Amateur Boxing Federation (PABF) said Ahmad Ali Khan (middleweight) and Shaukat Ali (heavyweight) were refused permission by Army to accompany the team to Manchester where the Games start from July 25.
“We had requested the Army authorities to send Ahmad and Shaukat’s no objection certificates, and passports, but Army have flatly refused,” joint secretary of the PABF, Ali Akbar Shah, said.
He added: “The tense situation on the borders has forced the Army not to send its men abroad.”
According to Akbar, the PABF has a June 5 and 10 deadlines for Manchester event and September-October’s Asian Games in Pusan to submit the NOCs, passports, and other relevant documents of the boxers to the PSB for government’s clearance.
The Army’s refusal to give the NOC’s to its boxers may also affect Pakistan’s preparations for the June 18 to 26 Asian Boxing Championship in Kuala Lumpur.
“We had planned to send seven to nine boxers for the Kuala Lumpur contest. Wapda has promised to sponsor five of their boys, while light-welterweight Asghar, Ahmad and Shaukat have earned the coach’s nod.
“But as the Army is reluctant to release Ahmad and Shaukat, we are again facing a quandary,” Akbar said.
Asghar Ali Shah will now be the sole boxer in the Commonwealth Games.
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