05 February 2004	Thursday	13 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Feb 4: President of Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) Prof. Anwar Chowdhry has said the federation wants to hold training camps for the national pugilists as they have a hectic schedule ahead but there was no proper venue available to hold camps.

The PBF chief said they had no place to train their boys for forthcoming international tours because renovation work was under progress at National Sports Training and Coaching Centre (NSTCC), where they used to hold camps.

He said that the completion of NSTCC Complex would take almost six months. He said the other places in the city, which could be used for the purpose, were occupied by rangers like Sindh Sports Board (SSB) Nazimabad and Kakri Football Ground, Lyari.

To a question about the expectations he had from pugilists in SAF Games, the PBF boss retorted: "How can any one expect good performance from the national squad in such circumstances?"

To a question he said that they were thinking for some other city but it will create difficulties for the boys and the federation it self. He said, "we have to watch the performances of the pugilists but if they are in some other city how would we watch them."

However, Chowdhry said that the SAF Games commission asked to send the boys to Islamabad for training purposes. Besides, he said, they have many other alternate proposals and the federation was working on them keenly.-PPI