KARACHI, March 20: Six Pakistani boxers cut short their training tour and returned here on Thursday from Baku, Azerbaijan, after strike by the United States on Iraq.
Pakistan Amateur Boxing Federation (PABF) had sent 11 pugilists on Feb 16 for one-month training trip and to take part in the ongoing 7th Prof Anwar Chowdhry tournament in Baku.
Originally, the boxers were scheduled to return from the Azerbaijan city on March 23 but had to come some three days earlier because of escalating political tension in the region and war against Iraq which broke out earlier this morning.
The officials took the decision to send the boxers home as a precautionary measure since they did not want them to be stranded in Baku due to conflict in Iraq which might have hampered the preparations for the SAF Games.
The boxers had gone to Baku on Azerbaijan Boxing Federation’s invitation as part of build-up to the March 29 to April 7 SAF Games which are to be hosted by Islamabad.
The pugilists who returned are, flyweight Akhtar Pervaiz, bantamweight Aqeel Ahmad, lightweight Shahid Jan, light- heavyweight Saeed Ahmad, heavyweight Shaukat Ali and super- heavyweight Muzaffar Iqbal.
The boxers, who were accompanied by assistant coach Zaigham Maseel, are now lodged at National Sports Training and Coaching Centre. PABF has planned to select the squad for the SAF Games from the group of 11.
Remaining five boxers and their coach Reinaldo Alvarez Ulacia are still in Baku participating in the tournament. Pakistan boxing chief Anwar Chowdhry, is also in the Azerbaijan capital where he had gone to watch the tournament.
Chowdhry, who is also AIBA president, boxers and team officials are expected to return on March 23 or 24.
Meanwhile, according to the information from Baku, Meherullah, who burst into spotlight after winning the gold at Busan Asian Games last year, has reached the bantamweight final.
Meher, a featherweight boxer, however, fought in the bantamweight category.
Light-flyweight Noman Karim reached the semifinal, while light-welterweight Asghar Ali Shah and middleweight Ahmad Ali Khan qualified for the quarterfinals.
Featherweight Hayatullah, one of the five boxers in Baku, did not take part in the tournament.