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LAHORE: 117 male and 22 female boxers from across the province will participate in the Punjab Inter-division Boxing Championship to be staged here at the Nishtar Park Sports Complex Gymnasium Hall from Saturday to Tuesday.
Announcing the event details, Punjab Minister for Sports Jahangir Khanzada said Sports Board Punjab was going to hold its first-ever inter-division boxing event aimed at promoting the game at the grassroots.
The minister said cash prizes worth Rs2.6 million would be given to top three position holders in all weight categories.
Director Sports Mohammad Anees Sheikh, Director Admin Javed Chohan and Deputy Director Hafeez Bhatti gave final touches to the arrangements in order to hold the event in a befitting manner as all the boxers have arrived in Lahore.
The championship is being held on the slogan of Kaunbanayga Punjab Ka Boxing Champion (who will become Punjab’s boxing champion).
Amir Khan, the renowned British boxer of Pakistani origin, will attend the closing ceremony of the championship.
The SBP claimed that all the boxers were picked after holding trials and added that tough competitions are expected at the event. Around 770 male and 100 women boxers appeared in these trials, which were held at different venues.
The boxers will compete in three different classes — elite (boys), youth class (U-16 boys) and elite class (girls).
“It is happening for the first time in Pakistan’s history that young boxers from remote areas of the province featured in the trials,” Khanzada said.
The winner, runner-up and third-position holders will pocket Rs50,000, Rs25,000 and Rs12,000 respectively.
The sports minister disclosed that work on 22 gymnasiums and 18 e-libraries had been completed in different cities across the province.
“Moreover, seven cricket grounds, six hockey grounds with top-class turfs and floodlights, Punjab International Swimming Complex and a tennis stadium of international standard have already been completed, and are serving the purpose,” added the minister.
Eleven cricket academies under the supervision of batting great Zaheer Abbas were also functional in various cities.
Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2018
