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| September 12, 2003 | Friday | Rajab 14, 1424 |
AIBA offers Afghanistan provisional affiliation
KARACHI, Sept 11: International Boxing Association (AIBA) on Thursday offered Afghanistan provisional affiliation with the intention to revive boxing in the war-torn country.
“Afghanistan will be given provisional affiliation by AIBA and the Asian Boxing Association. I will table the proposal and hopefully the council will approve it,” AIBA chief Anwar Chowdhry told Dawn.
A three-member Afghanistan Boxing Federation (ABF) delegation led by its president Daad Mohammad Pinda Akhtary, met Chowdhry at National Sports Training and Coaching Centre and watched bouts of the ongoing national ranking tournament.
Akhtary is accompanied by ABF vice-president Nujibul Housiny and secretary-general Mohammad Saber Sharify.
AIBA president said Afghanistan would be extended every possible support by the international body including boxing equipment and technical expertise to revive the game in the land- locked country.
Boxing was banned during the Taliban rule. The sport is once again being practised in the country ravaged by civil war and after the fall of the Taliban.
“AIBA will not only give them (ABF) provisional affiliation but will also provide boxing equipment including scoring machines to put the sport on track in that country.
“But I must say neither AIBA will provide hard cash nor built stadia or boxing rings as it is against the policy and association does not have that kind of resources,” AIBA boss said.
Chowdhry, also the president of Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) said Afghanistan would also be invited for October’s Green Hill Cup after a request from the Afghan officials.
Afghanistan boxing officials have asked for technical and financial support and affiliation from AIBA. They are scheduled to meet AIBA president again on Friday.
Giving a brief history of boxing in Afghanistan, Akhtary said the game started in 1943 in one of the clubs at Ministry of Education, but was facing variety of problems because of civil war.
Currently, Afghanistan does not have international referees, and is facing problems like lack of knowledge of rules, infrastructure, equipment for offices and finance, officials said.
Sharify said participation of at least two Afghan boxers — Abdul Hameed Rahimi and Bashar Mal Sultani — in next year’s Athens Olympics was ABF’s primary objective.
“Our major aim is to see our two boxers at 2004 Athens Olympic Games and to get affiliation from AIBA and Asian body,” the official said and added the pair had been on a six-month training tour in Iran preparing to seek qualification for the Olympics.
ABF secretary-general said despite having potential boxing had suffered during the Taliban regime as the sport was banned because it was considered “un-Islamic.”
“We used to train inside our homes as we feared punishment. But things have changed now as our boxers participated in the Busan Asian Games. It was the first-ever outing since the fall of Taliban.
“Four of our boxers even won silver medals at an international tournament in India in February this year which was the first medals after the revival of game,” he said.
Sharify, a former national featherweight champion, said Afghanistan had three national teams — one senior side and two junior teams in the age group of 11 to 16 and 17 to 19 years old.
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