KARACHI: Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) president Doda Khan Bhutto has expressed optimism that at least one or two pugilists of the country may qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The 2015 World Boxing Championship which is slated in Doha also serves as a qualifier for the Rio Olympiad.

“The Incheon Asian Games bronze medallist Mohammad Waseem and Ali Ahmed are among others who have potential to earn a passage for the next Olympics Games,” he told Dawn on Friday.

The PBF chief said Waseem’s recent performance at the Asian Games against tough opposition speaks highly of his talent and is an indicator that he can make waves at the world meet.

World’s top 20 boxers featured in the flyweight class at the Asiad where Waseem captured the bronze. The 27-year-old Waseem, who hails from Quetta, had won a silver and a bronze at successive Commonwealth Games — 2014 Glasgow (silver) and 2010 Delhi (bronze) besides numerous other honours.

Doda Bhutto, who is the youngest-ever president of a national sports federation, said the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) is expected to hire the services of a Cuban coach in the near future for training the national boxers. He said the national camp will be set up in Karachi while the juniors camp will be established at Lahore in January.

Doda, also the vice president of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) who is at the helm of PBF since Dec 2008, recalled how the country survived globally in the game in the aftermath of corruption allegations against his predecessor and heavyweight AIBA president, the late Prof Anwar Chowdhry who died on June 19, 2010.

He said he incurred money from his pocket by organising the back-to-back Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto international tournaments at Karachi and Islamabad which opened avenues for country’s boxers. “Part of the money was reimbursed later by the government,” he added.

The PBF chief said unlike Anwar Chowdhry, he had no clout in AIBA and the country’s boxers were returning with flying colours on their merit. “Be it the Commo­nwealth Games, Asian Games, SAF Games or any other international competition, Pakistani boxers have been picking up medals,” he added.

The top boxing official said the PSB has also recognised his re-election that took place on Dec 20 2012 for four years. The recognition was delayed due to unrest in the country’s sports which has now been cleared.

Doda Khan Bhutto leaves for South Korea on Sunday to attend the AIBA Congress meeting which is being held at Jeju Island from Nov 11 to 14. He is also a candidate for executive committee member.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2014