May 06, 2007	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1428

KARACHI, May 5: As many as eight top boxers of the country will feature in the Seniors Asian Boxing Championship to be held next month at Mongolia, secretary Pakistan Boxing Federation, Shakeel Durrani said here on Saturday.

The secretary said the boxers would be selected on basis of their form for the competition which is scheduled for first week of June. Pakistan clinched three gold medals in last year's edition of the competition.

Durrani said the PBF is doing their best to train their boxers for the Beijing Olympics in August 2008.

He said after the next month's competition, the PBF would select a pool of around ten boxers for three-month drill in Cuba as part of preparations for the quadrennial event.

Meanwhile, a seven-member Pakistani squad including three pugilists will leave on Monday (May 7) to take part in the Ahmed Comart boxing Championship from May 8 to 13 at Istanbul, Turkey.

Ace boxer Asghar Ali Shah (lightweight), Nisar Sona (light flyweight) and Abid Ali (bantam weight) will represent Pakistan in the championship where around 175 boxers from 55 countries are expected to take part.—Agencies