KARACHI, Sept 19: Pakistan’s top seven boxers left here for Cuba on Wednesday to begin their preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing with a three-month long training camp in Havana starting from later this month.

A Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) spokesman said on Wednesday that a total of eight national pugilists were scheduled to go to Cuba but one of the team members had to stay back due to injury.

Mir Waiz missed the flight to Havana because of a wrist injury and may join his team-mates later after recovering from the injury.

In October, they will go to Chicago (USA) from Cuba to participate in the World Boxing Championship. The tournament will also serve as a qualifying event for the Beijing Games to be held next August.

The best four boxers from the squad will be selected by the team coach for the World Championship. The boxers reaching the semifinals of the World Championship will qualify for the Olympic Games.

The boxers who left for Cuba are: Noman Karim, Ali Muhammad, Abid Ali, Muhammad Sajid, Asghar Ali Shah, Dur Muhammad and Yasir Javed.—Agencies