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| October 9, 2003 | Thursday | Sha’aban 12, 1424 |
Organizers blamed for chaos
KARACHI, Oct 8: The opening day of the Green Hill Cup international boxing tournament saw chaotic scenes because of unprofessional attitude of the organizers.
Slackness on the part of organizers resulted in an ugly situation at the entrance of the venue — KPT Sports Complex — owing to unprecedented security measures.
Quite a few press photographers exchanged hot words with the security personnel and organizers when they were denied entry. The security officials argued no one would be allowed entry without accreditation cards.
However, some photographers could not get their accreditation cards due to negligence of the organizers which they admitted but blamed Rangers for informing them at the eleventh hour about the strict measures to be adopted for security.
“Previously, the accreditation cards used to be a formality, therefore, we did not take it seriously as we were told by the Rangers that cards would not be needed for entry.
“But after the assassination of political leader Azam Tariq, Rangers intimated us that nobody would be allowed to enter the venue without accreditation cards. Lot of work was pending regarding the preparation of the cards which could not be executed on time,” organizing secretary Shakeel Durrani said.
Even a former Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) official was not allowed to enter the complex by the Rangers and organizers. The ex-official, who recently criticized PBF for including favourites into the squads for the contest, said it was done purposely.
Former PBF joint secretary Ali Akbar Shah said he was declared persona non grata by the PBF and was denied entry and humiliated by the organizing secretary.
“Like many others, I too was not allowed to enter the complex. Although I asked the deputy organizing secretary Akram Khan on Oct 5 and through my department KPT on Oct 6 for a pass, I never got it. That was done because I spoke the truth.
“Even Shakeel Durrani treated me like trash when I approached him at the venue to request for entry. I am KPT’s boxing incharge and I have the right to watch my boxers Meherullah, Asghar Ali Shah and Zahid Hussain in action. It is the organizers who should be blamed for the harsh treatment not the security,” he lamented.
Ali said PBF did not even bother to invite its secretary Maj Abdul Rasheed who had the honour to be appointed course director by the International Olympic Committee for IOC Solidarity Coaches Course recently held in Karachi.
Meanwhile, the reporters covering the event were left confused as they were not provided draw of the day. The sheets given to the media did not have the names of the boxers and only country names were handwritten.
The draw with names were provided after the 12th bout and that too had wrong names and weight categories. Pakistan’s lightweight Sajid Raja actually fought against a Korean Kon Yong Ho, while his rival’s name was mentioned Thailand’s Somchai Nakbaree in the light-welterweight.
Likewise, Pakistan’s Yasir is a light-welterweight while the draw showed him a lightweight.
Besides, the reporters failed to get the official scores after the bouts as not a single concerned official was there to distribute them.
The scores later faxed to Dawn mentioned Noman of Pakistan Whites defeated by Thailand’s Naruemit Sittisena 21-10 while the Pakistani is actually in Greens and did not fight today.
The official results did not have the scores of bout between Kway Hyok Ju of North Korea and Florencio Ferrer of Thailand.
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