KARACHI, May 4: Iraqi boxers are aiming for two places at the Athens Olympics and hoping to win their war-ravaged country's first medal in 44 years, their American coach said on Tuesday.
"I target two places for Iraqi boxers and if I achieve that I want to dedicate that to the sport-loving new Iraq," Maurice Lynn Watkins said. Eight Iraqi boxers are among 150 pugilists from 32 Asian countries featuring in the last qualifying boxing event being held in Karachi ahead of the Athens Olympics in August.
Some 62 Asian boxers will get places in Olympic boxing events and 44 have already booked their berths at the Games after the first two qualifying events in Philippines and China.
Also competing in the event, which runs from May 6-12, will be two boxers from war-ravaged Afghanistan, which was readmitted in the Olympic Games after the fall of the Taliban regime.
Iraq has not won a medal in any Olympic event since a bronze medal in weight lifting in the 1960 Games in Rome. "Maybe this year my boxers will achieve that for a new Iraq, and if it comes about it would be great," said Watkins who is visiting Pakistan with his Iraqi boxers.
"Despite war we have trained hard, first in Hilla and then in Baghdad since I took over seven months ago." The majority of the members of the boxing team are former soldiers who were drafted into the army against their will by the Saddam Hussein regime.
"Now the autocracy is gone and people want achievements," Watkins said. "There were very little facilities when I joined Iraq as sports adviser but now we have done well to gather support and things are shaping well," he said.
Watkins believes Najah Shah in the 48 kg category, Jalal Fadhil in 51kg and Zuhair Jabbar in the 69kg category have good chances to qualify. International Amateur Boxing Association president Anwar Chowdhry welcomed the Asian boxers.
"To get a place in the OIympics is a great honour for any country," said Chowdhry. "In the Athens Olympics we hope that the Asian boxers will strive for glory and overcome a great challenge from the Americas and Europe," he said.
Meanwhile, North Korea, rated as one of the favourites, will not be participating in the final Athens 2004 0lympics boxing qualifiers to be held at Karachi at KPT Sports Complex.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday president Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF), Prof. Anwar Chowdhry said that due to the tragic train accident in North Korea they were not participating in the event.
PBF chief said that DPR Korea had already two qualifications from the last two qualifiers held earlier this year in Philippines and China. Some 30 nations are participating in the event and boxers from nine countries are already in Karachi, six are expected tonight (Tuesday night) while remaining nations are due on next two days.
The Indian contingent is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday. Prof Chowdhry said that this was the biggest event to be held in the city and they would do their utmost to make it a success. -Agencies
