ISLAMABAD: Pakistan boxer Shoaib Khan Zehri will step up to the super-lightweight division to face India’s Thakur Kumar at an international event in Istanbul on Sept 27.

Usually competing as a lightweight, the Quetta-born Shoaib said the switch in category would not deter him.

“I will give my best to raise Pakistan’s flag high,” the 27-year-old boxer told APP on Tuesday.

“This fight is about Pakistan’s honour. I am fully prepared and confident of beating my opponent.”

Shoaib who has already impressed in global contests, said his training had been tailored for endurance and speed.

“I have trained hard for this challenge. My focus is on discipline, endurance and strategy,” the left-handed boxer maintained.

“The youth from Balochistan and from all over Pakistan look up to me, and I want to show them that with commitment and hard work nothing is impossible,” Shoaib remarked.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2025