November 24, 2002	Sunday	Ramazan 18, 1423

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AT last boxing which has won more laurels for the country than any other discipline in recent times has received its due recognition when President General Pervez Musharraf, announced the biggest ever grant of rupees one crore for setting up an indoor stadium of international standards, and a crore annually till 2004 Athens Olympic Games for training the boxers.

In fact it would be an understatement if the achievements are not truly reflected. Pakistani boxers in Asian Games and Asian Boxing Championships alone nearly grabbed hundred medals with a break up of 13 gold, 27 silver and 56 bronze. These medals do not include medals won at Commonwealth Games, Asian Junior Championships, King Cup (Bangkok), President’s Cups (Indonesia) SAF Games, Mayor Cup (Manila) and host of international events held all over the world.

Why boxing did not get the recognition, it deserved was because it is even today considered as poor man’s sport at least in this part of the world.

Unfortunately our pugilists were never treated at par with other sports persons representing the country. They were merely considered second class citizens. They were shabbily treated by our sports waderas and stiff-necked bureaucrats who hold top posts either in the federations, Olympic body or the Ministry of Sports and the Pakistan Sports Board.

This treatment was meted out to boxers despite the fact that with the exception of hockey which has won three Olympic Gold and one bronze by a wrestler the only other medal ever snatched at the Olympics has been boxer Husain Shah.

Only in the current year our boxers won seven gold, four silver and nine bronze medals at Fajr (Iran) Chowdhry International Boxing Championship at Baku, Bangkok, Asian Boxing at Kuala Lumpur and Manchester Commonwealth Games.

The boxers success deserves commendation from all quarters as the Pakistan Boxing Federation, has been getting an annual grant of a measly Rs 200,000/- which was not enough even to hold training camps before any international event or for the purchase of gear of international standards which is prerequisite for every boxer to compete for an international contest.

President Musharraf picked the right discipline to promote. He took the responsibility of doing, which his own appointed Sports Minister, Col (Retd) S.K. Tressler failed to do, that is promote any sports in the country.

It is a national tragedy that one discipline which has talent and has proved beyond any doubt it’s mettle was ignored for so long. Gen Musharraf not only invited the boxers who won medals at Busan (South Korea, Asian Games and even awarded cash to the boxers for the purpose of motivation.

Besides, the president admired the services of Dr Prof Anwar Chowdhry, who has been elected President of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) for the fifth four-year term running. Chaudhry, who is acknowledged world over for the promotion of sports and youth world over.

Chowdhry is also the inventor of the present computerized scoring system as boxing was threatened to be omitted from Olympic Games after the hue and cry made at the Seoul Olympics.

Talking to Dawn the AIBA chief, said that he would use his good offices in securing funds from multinational companies who sponsor sports and would persuade the IOC to release funds from it’s solidarity fund for the proposed boxing stadium which will be a novelty in the region.

He said in the first instance, he plans to build a covered stadium which will serve as a permanent coaching centre on the pattern of the one functioning in Tunis under the AIBA. It would be financed by IOC Solidarity fund and run by the world body where boxers from all over the region wolud be imparted training round the year.

Besides he said the centre will also train judges and coaches for the overall improvement of boxing the world over. He said IABA has two aspirants in Thailand and South Korea who want the facility established in their country but Pakistan would be a better place because of it’s geographical situation.

He said the complex will have a seating capacity of around 5000 spectators with covered dome and operated according to seasonal requirements. It will also have housing facilities for athletes, officials, coaches and judges of other countries as well as home trainees.

The most salient feature of the complex will be that in addition to all requirements of boxing it will have a 200 metre all-weather athletic track.

Chowdhry intends to build similar facilities at Lahore, Quetta, Islamabad and Peshawar as they will cater to the needs of the local people and provide an opportunity to all the centres to hold international and national events which will finally bring in desired results.

One can only hope and pray for the early take off and completion of the project which will certainly go a long way in changing the fortunes of boxing in Pakistan.