KARACHI, March 8: Pakistan boxing chief Prof Anwar Chowdhry on Wednesday refrained from predicting the number of medals country’s pugilists would win in the Commonwealth Games saying that making such forecasts was an impossible task in an unpredictable sport like boxing.
Speaking at a press conference, the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) president also criticized the country’s sports authorities for predicting that the national boxers would win medals in the CW Games to be held in Melbourne later this month.
Chowdhry said that if there was any authority who could comment on expected performance from the pugilists, it was the PBF.
“I was surprise to see newspaper statements from our sports authorities who are saying that Pakistan will win CW Games medals in boxing.
“Who are they to give such statements. It is an absolute rubbish. In a sport like boxing you cannot make any prediction. It will all depend on what sort of draws we will get in the Melbourne,” he said.
Chowdhry launched a scathing attack on the country’s main sports bodies — Pakistan Sport Board (PSB) and Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) for giving PBF a limited quota of just five boxers for the Commonwealth Games.
He said that most of the other members of the 70 odd Pakistan contingent will have no chance of winning medals in the CW Games. Chowdhry added that by limiting the boxing squad to just five men, the country’s sports authorities have made it sure that they would have lesser chances in the Games.—PPI