Taken from the website of the National Sports Board,

“Boxing is among the very few sports, in which Pakistan has made slow but steady progress despite general deteriorating standards. One is astonished to mark the progress keeping in view the fact that there is not a single gymnasium or indoor stadium of international standard.

The Pakistani boxers also lack necessary equipment and other facilities which have made the other countries leading boxing nations of the world. More surprising is the tact that the Pakistani personalia have climbed up the top berths in the organisational set-up of world amateur boxing by dint of sheer hard-work and individualistic efforts. Mr. Anwar Chaudhry, a Professor of engineering in Karachi University was at present the President of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA). This is no small achievement by any standards.”

This tells me a lot about the future of combat sports in Pakistan. It gives me a lot hope that despite not being given adequate equipment, Pakistani’s are through grit and motivation beginning to make a mark on international boxing. Although the Pakistani government may not be supporting this sport just today Pakistan Boxing Federation was assured by the International Boxing Federation that it would grant 5,0000 US Dollars (4 Lakhs rps) of equipment to Pakistan. So lets see how that goes.

It seems that the Pakistani Boxing Federation has gotten serious because along with securing new equipment from the IBF they only recently hired a Cuban coach for the Pakistani team. Cubans are renowned for having good boxers, great coaches and an overall great national boxing program. Despite being the fraction of the size of Pakistan they consistently put out tough competition in International events. The MMA fighter Rogerio “Minatauro” Nogeuira has also trained with the Cuban boxing team for his MMA fights. The Cuban coach, Francesco Hernandez Roldan is joining the Pakistani team after this weeks AIBA World Boxing Championship being held at Milan (Italy).

Pakistan may or may not develop a domestic boxing scene, although there are promising signs with clubs being formed from the slums of Lyari, Karachi to upscale LUMS University in Lahore. But this rise in interest for combat sports especially one that is so important in MMA competition is very promising. Having good boxing coaches and practitioners means that this nations MMA competitors will have resources to prepare to become the worlds most well rounded fighters. In the coming months and years MMA Pakistan hopes to document the rise of some great Pakistani boxers and a general rise in popularity of boxing to the Pakistani public. Both as a sport and as a form of fitness.

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