May 19, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 02, 1428

KARACHI, May 18: Pakistani boxers continued their dismal run when the three-member boxing team returned without any medal from Turkey where they featured in Ahmed Comret International tourney.

Top boxers light-flyweight Mohammad Nisar, bantamweight Abid Ali and star lightweight Asghar Ali Shah all returned after crashing out from the tournament at initial stages.

Pakistani boxers have completed their treble of failure as it was the third time during the year that they have failed to secure a single medal at any international event.

In February, a seven-member contingent came back from Al-Fajr international tournament in Iran without any medal, while in April, Abid, Asghar and super-heavyweight Mirwaiz returned without laurels from King’s Cup in Bangkok, Thailand.

Ironically, Pakistan have always won several medals at these tournaments in the past but are now facing an unprecedented slump since Anwar Chowdhry has been deposed as International Boxing Association (AIBA) chief last November. While earlier they used to win, now boxers are losing on Referee Stopped the Contest (RSC) decisions which shows sorry state of boxing affairs.

While Pakistan won no less than six medals including one gold, four silver and a bronze in 2002 Busan Asian Games, they miserably flopped at Doha Asian Games last December, returning empty-handed.

According to a March 10 statement of Rustam Baloch, who was the coach of Pakistan side that participated in Al-Fajr competition, Chowdhry’s ouster from AIBA was the reason for poor result.

Apart from corruption charges and violation of AIBA financial rules, Chowdhry has also been charged by several boxing officials with manipulating results to favour Pakistani pugilists at various tournaments at home and abroad.

The former amateur boxing godfather even came under scathing attack from AIBA secretary-general Caner Doganeli for what he believes was Chowdhry’s corruption.

Doganeli has termed Pakistan’s pathetic performance at Doha Games as Chowdhry’s corruption which, according to him, has been exposed after Chowdhry was deposed as AIBA chief.

“Pakistani boxers won three gold medals and Pakistan became the champions in Asian Championships in Vietnam with the help of the then AIBA president Prof. Chowdhry and Referee/Judge Committee chairman from Asia, Mr Shakeel Durrani who is his son-in-law. But they finished at bottom in Doha Asian Games.

“Now how that team which was the Asian champion just a year ago, collapsed so easily in Doha. So the corruption exposed by officials of different countries involving Prof Chowdhry and Shakeel Durrani was a fact not fiction,” Doganeli had told Dawn last December.

Chowdhry, also chairman of Pakistan Boxing Federation, has recently been in limelight when PBF auditors pulled the federation up for not filing income tax return, operating a secret bank account and financial mismanagement.