ISLAMABAD, March 26: Asghar Ali Shah and Numan Karim, both having already qualified for this year's Olympics, are oozing confidence ahead of SAF Games starting here next week.

"We are well aware that Indians will pose Pakistan a challenge again but we both are capable to overcome our closest rivals from that country," they said. Altogether, Pakistan's Cuban coach Alvarez aims for at least six gold medals at the 9th SAF Games, out of the 10 weight categories in which the country will be represented.

Besides Asghar and Numan, Pakistan's other prominent gold-medal hopefuls are Haider Ali and Meherullah. Asghar, Pakistan's gold medal contender in 60 kilograms class, said preparations were in full swing for the SAF Games in which Pakistan won three against India's six in the last edition at Kathmandu in September 1999.

"That figure in India's favour may count for nothing when it comes to crunch fights in the ring during this edition", said Numan. "In fact, each one of our boxers in the 10 weight categories will take to the ring with his sights set on a gold medal".

He said it might well be Pakistani pugilists' turn to capture six golds instead of India repeating their Kathmandu tally. At Kathmandu, Ali Haider in flyweight, Shoukat Ali in heavyweight and Shahid Hussain in super heavyweight classes were Pakistan's gold-medallists while Indian gold-medallists were Omar Mohammad Ali (flyweight), Nagangom Dingko Singh (bantamweight), Narendra Singh (lightweight), Sanjit Singh (light welterweight), Jitender Kumar (middleweight) and Gurcharan Singh (light heavyweight). -APP