06 February 2004	Friday	14 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Feb 5: Boxing teams from across the country will participate in the ranking boxing tournament to be held at National Sports Training and Coaching Centre (NSTCC) from Feb 13 to 15.

Boxing associations affiliated with Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) will enter their teams in the tournament.

Organisers are expecting a large number of participation as this tournament is being staged to select pugilists for the World Junior Championships to be held in Jeju, Korea, from June 10-20.

Pakistan will be participating for the first time in the World Junior competition in which top pugilists from around the globe will take part.

Pakistan will participate with five to six boxers to be selected from the ranking tournament.

The tournament will be held in seniors and juniors categories. Meanwhile national pugilists who are going to participate in the SAF Games will head to Kazakhstan on Feb 10 for a six-week training course.

The boys will return on March 16 to take part in SAF Games which will be held from March 28 at Islamabad.

Some of the boxers on return from Kazakhstan will compete in the second qualifying rounds for Olympics to be held in China in March.

PBF is expecting five pugilists qualifying for the Athens Olympics and if they succeed then this will be the largest qualification-ever by Pakistani boxers in the extravaganza. -PPI