KARACHI: An uproar challenging referee’s decision in the semi-final bout left a bad taste on the penultimate day of the 35th National Boxing Championship at the KPT Sports Complex on Saturday.

The situation become ugly after referee announced the 2-1 verdict in favour of Wapda’s Naqeebullah against Nadir Baloch of Sindh in the 56 kg bout.

Nadir, who came out of the ring re-entered and set on a bench facing the commissioner Karachi, Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, who graced the occasion, as his coach approached organising secretary Asghar Baloch to get relief.

Things came under control after the agitating boxer left on the assurance from chairman referee, judges commission and supervisor of the championship, Mohammad Younus Pathan, who announced on the public address system that the result has been suspended and would be declared after watching the video.

“Naqeebullah has won the bout,” Baloch told Dawn when asked about the decision of the bout at the time of filing this report.

Asked the decision was taken after witnessing the video, he said “no”.

Meanwhile, four boxers apiece of Army, Wapda and the PAF cruised into the final by winning their semi final bouts.

The trio is followed by the Navy who has secured three berths in the final. They are joined by one boxer from the HEC.

The figures are based on the results of eight classes barring heavy (91 kg) and super heavy (+91 kg) semi-finals. .

Sania Naz, the MPA from Lyari, also watched some bouts.

Curtains fall on the event on Sunday.

Results:

Semi-finals:

49 kg: Muhib Bacha (Wapda) bt Dawood (Navy) 3-0; Hasnain (Army) bt Shehroz (HEC) 2-1.

52 kg: M. Nisar (Navy) bt M. Farooq (Army) 2-1; Syed Asif (HEC) bt Badshah (Sindh) TKO second round.

56 kg: Farhan (Army) bt Amir Khan (Navy) 2-1; Naqeebullah (Wapda) bt Nadir Baloch (Sindh) 2-1.

60 kg: Naimatullah (PAF) bt Salman Baloch (Army) 2-1; Ali Ahmed (Wapda) bt Shiraz (Navy) 3-0.

64 kg: Qadir Khan (Navy) bt Zubair Ahmed (HEC) TKO second round; Gulzaib (Army) bt Sajid Farman (Sindh) 3-0.

69 kg: Amir Khan (Wapda) bt Muneer Ahmed (Navy) 3-0; Arshad Hussain (PAF) bt Balach Razzaq (Sindh) 2-1.

75 kg: Mohammad Amjad (PAF) bt Javed Akhtar (Railways) 3-0; Tanveer Ahmed (Navy) bt Mohammad Asif (Army) 2-1.

81 kg: Naeem (PAF) bt Noor Ali (Sindh) 2-1; Awais Khan (Army) bt Asmatullah (Balochistan) TKO first round.

Friday’s remaining results:

Quarter-finals:

91 kg: Mirza Azam Ali (PAF) bt Nisar Ali (Railways) 2-1; Sanaullah (Wapda) bt Imran Shah (Sindh) 3-0; Majid Ali (Navy) bt Asad Khan (Balochistan) 3-0; Ahmed Ali (Army) bt Bazir Khan (Fata) 3-0.

+91 kg: Yasir Jameel (KPT) bt Najeebullah (Railways) TKO second round; Zakirullah (Fata) bt Faisal Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) walkover; Mehmood Hassan (PAF) bt Mir Waiz Khan (Wapda) 3-0; Yasir Javed (Army) bt Majid Ali (Navy) TKO first round.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2015