KARACHI: The three-day boxing event of the commissioner Karachi Lyari sports and peace festival got off to a spectacular start at Ustad Abdullah Baloch boxing stadium, Peoples Sports Complex, on Friday.

As many as 25 bouts were held in boys and junior categories on the opening day with the winners making their way into the last-four stage.

The young Lyari pugilists, who despite being perturbed by the the deteriorating law and order situation in their locality, showed their prowess at the festival in a bid to strengthen their skills and follow in the their elders’ footsteps by bringing laurels to the nation.

Deputy Commissioner South, Saleem Ahmed Rajput, who inaugurated the event, announced Rs20,000 for Pak National Boxing Club.

Also present on the occasion were 1972 Olympian Malang Baloch, Sindh Boxing Association officials Abid Hussain Brohi and Asghar Baloch besides Abdul Ghani Darwesh and Obaidullah Panwar.

Results: Boys:

Quarter-finals:

38kg: Zameer Jan bt Jameel 2-1; Bilal bt Owais 3-0.

40kg: Mohammad Usman bt Zakir Hussain 3-0; Mohammad Rizwan bt Aqeel Jan 2-1.

42kg: Sajid Rasheed bt Abdul Jabbar 3-0; Jehanzeb bt Ehsan Ali 2-1; Mohammad Hussain bt Shahzeb Jan 2-1; Sher Ali bt Syed Yasir Shah 2-1.

44kg: Zohaib Rasheed bt Zahid Hussain 3-0; Mohammad Sameer bt Waleed 2-1; Mohammad Faheem bt Sarfraz Ali 3-0; Nadir Kachi bt Tan-zeel Nafees 3-0.

Juniors: Quarter-finals:

50kg: Mohammad Salman bt Laraib Ali 3-0; Daniyal Akbar bt Ahmed 2-1; Arsalan Ahmed bt Waleed Ali 2-1; Qaqar Abbasi bt Wali Khan 3-0.

52kg: Bilal bt Noor Mohammad 3-0; Wajid Ali bt Shahab Ahmed 3-0; Rizwan Ahmed bt Aqib Ali 2-1; Sikander Zaman bt Salman Ali 3-0; Talah bt Mohammad Saud 2-1.

54kg: Alamgir Zaib bt Shoaib Jan 3-0; Tahir Hussain bt Mohammad Younus 3-0; Shehroz bt Zaib Ali 3-0.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2014