KARACHI, March 18: Pakistan Amateur Boxing Federation (PABF) Tuesday named a ten-member squad for IX SAF Games being held at Islamabad from March 29 to April 7.

Pakistan pugilists are currently undergoing training in Baku (Azerbaijan) in preparations for the regional sporting extravaganza, Associate Secretary PABF Ali Akber Shah said.

Pakistan boxers are also participating in the Prof. Anwar Chowdhry International Boxing Tournament which commenced in Baku from Monday. The team will return home on March 25.

National team included Meherullah of KPT who won the gold medal in Busan Asian Games while Shahid Jan, Noman Karim, Ahmed Ali Khan, Asghar Ali Shah and Muzzaffar Iqbal took the silver in same competition.

Squad: Noman Karim (Light fly), Akhtar Parvez (Flyweight), Aqeel Ahmed (Bantamweight), Meherullah (Featherweight), Shahid Jan (Lightweight), Asghar Ali Shah (Light welterweight), Ahmed Ali Khan (Middleweight), Saeed Ahmed (light Heavyweight), Shaukat Ali (Heavyweight), Muzaffar Iqbal (Super Heavyweight).

Habibullah has been named as standby.

Reinaldo Alvarez of Cuba will be the chief coach and Munir Ahmed will be his deputy.

Except for Meherullah, Shahid Jan and Asghar Ali Shah, who are from KPT and Muzaffar Iqbal (Wapda), rest boxers are from Pakistan Army.

PPI adds: The former joint secretary of Pakistan Amateur Boxing Federation (PABF) Ali Akbar Shah strongly criticized for neglecting the national boxers in the nominations for squad of sportsmen for carrying the torch in the 9th SAF Games opening ceremony to be held on March 20th in Karachi.

“It is regretted that not a single boxer has been included in the 27 regular and 15 reserved sportsmen to carry the lighting torch from Mazar-i-Quaid to Karachi Cantt. Station”, Shah said.

He was astonished that Pakistani pugilists have won 67 medals over-all in eight SAF Games in which 44 gold, 15 silver and eight bronze were obtained by the great Pakistan boxers and proved complete domination in boxing discipline of SAF Games. He failed to understand as to why not a single national boxer has been able to included in the nominated squad for carrying the torch of SAF Games, he said.

He was astonished that Pakistani pugilists have won 67 medals over-all in eight SAF Games in which 44 gold, 15 silver and eight bronze were obtained by the great Pakistan boxers and proved complete domination in boxing discipline of SAF Games.

He failed to understand as to why not a single national boxer has been able to included in the nominated squad for carrying the torch of SAF Games, he said.

Shah said the SAF gold medals, Asian gold medalists and Olympian boxers are present in the Karachi but the organizing committee did not contact PABF and SABA to include them in the squad for bearing the torch to the Cantt. station.

Shah appealed to the Governor Sindh and Chief Minister Sindh to take immediate notice of neglecting deliberately the national boxers and deprived their due status in their native province.