KARACHI, Aug 6: President Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) Prof Anwar Chowdhry was hopeful of Pakistani boxers winnings medals in Athens Olympic Games.

PBF has done its best to provide boxers training abroad though funds of Rs10 million, announced by President General Pervez Musharraf for preparations of Olympics, he said in an interview.

President Musharraf while meeting boxers, who had won gold, silver and bronze medals in last Asian Games at Busan, South Korea, on 4th Nov 2002, had announced Rs20m grant to PBF for training boxers for Olympic Games.

Though the federation had received Rs10m last year, which helped PBF groom boxers for the World Championship and SAF Games, the PBF was still awaiting release of remaining Rs10 million which were due to be released in January 2004.

From previous special grant, PBF had send boxers for training to Kazakhstan and Russia. As a result, Pakistani boxers first time participated in the World Championship at Bangkok and won a bronze medal. They won ten gold medals in 9th SAF Games.

"Despite giving such marvellous performances the government's attitude with boxers is illogical and has created disappointment among them," he added. Chowdhry said while India had spent 135 million on their boxers vying for the Olympics, "we could hardly spend few lakhs".

He said he had high hopes on Noman Karim but it was a great setback that the boxer was banned for a year after he tested positive in SAF Games. "But we still hope that Meharullah, the Asian Games gold medallist, and Olympian Asghar Ali Shah are capable of winning medals at Athens."

Pakistan's five boxers Meharullah, Asghar, Sohail Baloch, Faisal Karim and Ahmed Ali Khan will compete in Athens. -PPI