KARACHI, Nov 2: In a totally misplaced outburst against the recently published stories in this newspaper highlighting the corrupt ways of a top boxing official, the so-called camp commandant of the national boxing training camp on Thursday threatened this correspondent of dire consequences and resorted to misbehaving.
The ugly incident took place when this Dawn staffer approached one of the camp trainees in the TV lounge of the National Sports Training and Coaching Centre (NSTCC) for his views on Pakistan’s chances in the forthcoming Asian Games.
The chat was rudely interrupted by one Mohammad Aslam, who claimed himself to be the camp commandant as boxer Asghar Ali Shah spoke to this correspondent. Aslam, clearly acting hostile and high-handed, asked this reporter as to why he had come to the training venue and from whose permission did he approach the boxer for his comments.
“Why are you here? You cannot come here whenever you like. I am the camp commandant and am in full control of this camp. You should have taken permission from me before talking to anybody in the camp,” shouted Aslam, who has been deputed by Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF).
When informed that this correspondent was here to talk to the boxers in a bid to create some interest prior to the Asiad, Aslam got infuriated and started shouting at the reporter.
“If media wants to take interviews or talk to the boxers they should come during the training hours. Apart from the training hours media is not allowed to visit and talk to anybody,” Aslam said. He was, however, rendered speechless when asked how could the reporters talk to the boxers when they were busy with their training.
And when this correspondent did ask Aslam for his permission for talking to the boxers, he suddenly came up with a nasty reply, “you are not allowed because you write negative reports.”
This correspondent protested Aslam’s remark and pressed that it was the professional duty of the media to talk to the boxers, especially since they were preparing for the Asian Games scheduled for next month. This had Aslam throwing in a fit.
Reacting in an unreasonable manner, he started shouting at the top of his voice, asking this correspondent to “leave this place at once.” The camp commandant, along with a PBF deputed coach Mohammad Tariq of Wapda, even tried to manhandle this correspondent and threatened of dire consequences.
“You go right now or anything can happen to you,” Tariq growled at this reporter. The two were stopped from behaving in a rash manner by a Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) official, Nasrullah Rana.
A PSB official later informed this correspondent that Aslam did not hold the official status of a camp commandant and had simply been deputed by PBF, thus flouting the PSB directives.
“The boxing camp in Karachi is being organised by PSB and any journalist can visit the venue without any problem. The PSB has already directed the director at the NSTCC and PBF that there is no room for a camp commandant,” said the PSB official.
“Aslam has no powers as a camp commandant. He has been deputed here by PBF since he is a Civil Aviation Authority employee as has no proper accommodation in Karachi because he has been posted from Hyderabad.”
The PSB official pointed out that if Aslam claimed to be the camp commandant he should also take the responsibility of the two Pakistani boxers – Mehrullah and Faisal Karim – who tested positive for marijuana at South Asian Games in Colombo.
Interestingly, the recent outbursts against this Dawn staffer came in the wake of the recent reports published in the newspaper regarding PBF and AIBA chief Anwar Chowdhry’s violations of world body’s financial regulations, receiving kickbacks and accumulating huge wealth in a Swiss bank account.