KARACHI: Pakistan’s star boxer and Asian gold medallist Mehrullah Lassi will be seen in action at international level almost after three years as he is more likely to be included in the Pakistan team for the World Boxing Championship penciled in for September 1 to 12 in Milan, Italy, writes Alam Zeb Safi.
“We are going to give him a chance in the Milan event in order to test him. He had shown marked recovery during training in Istanbul in June-July and is still looking quite fit and in good form and it would be better if we give him a chance in the coming event to prove his real worth,” the secretary of the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) Akram Khan told our sources here on Sunday.
His inclusion in the
five-man squad for the World Championship looks certain
as the authorities have decided to keep him away from the 33rd KESC Cup National
Boxing Championship scheduled to be held here at the NPT Karsaz from August 11 to 14 in a bid to prevent him from any injury.
“The final five-member squad for the mega event will be unveiled after the National Championship here from a pool of a dozen of top ranking boxers and it would be ultimately decided by the coaches whether the targeted boxers for the Italy affair should be allowed to represent their own departments in the national event or not,” Akram said.
The 29-year old featherweight boxer Mehrullah was slapped with a life ban by the PBF in 2006 alongwith his teammate Faisal Karim after both were tested positive for using cannabis at Colombo’s South Asian Games.
The organisers of the South Asian Games had recommended a six-month suspension but the PBF surprisingly imposed a life ban on him. However, it was later converted into two-year suspension as per International Boxing Association (AIBA) and WADA rules. The two-year ban expired in August 2008 and Mehrullah was seen for the first time in the boxing ring during the National Ranking Championship held here early this year.
Mehrullah got through strenuous training sessions with the Pakistan team in South Korea in May and then in Istanbul in June-July.
Though, it was expected to include him in the national squad for the Asian Championship in China in early June, but the selectors decided against giving the experienced boxer the opportunity as he still needed more time to fully get his lost rhythm back.
Though it may take the 2002 Asian Games Gold medallist Mehrullah some time to produce his top performance at international circuit but it is fortunate for the country that the determined man will be fully ready for the next year’s South Asian Games and Asian Games.
“We are going to give him a chance in the Milan event in order to test him. He had shown marked recovery during training in Istanbul in June-July and is still looking quite fit and in good form and it would be better if we give him a chance in the coming event to prove his real worth,” the secretary of the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) Akram Khan told our sources here on Sunday.
His inclusion in the
five-man squad for the World Championship looks certain
as the authorities have decided to keep him away from the 33rd KESC Cup National
Boxing Championship scheduled to be held here at the NPT Karsaz from August 11 to 14 in a bid to prevent him from any injury.
“The final five-member squad for the mega event will be unveiled after the National Championship here from a pool of a dozen of top ranking boxers and it would be ultimately decided by the coaches whether the targeted boxers for the Italy affair should be allowed to represent their own departments in the national event or not,” Akram said.
The 29-year old featherweight boxer Mehrullah was slapped with a life ban by the PBF in 2006 alongwith his teammate Faisal Karim after both were tested positive for using cannabis at Colombo’s South Asian Games.
The organisers of the South Asian Games had recommended a six-month suspension but the PBF surprisingly imposed a life ban on him. However, it was later converted into two-year suspension as per International Boxing Association (AIBA) and WADA rules. The two-year ban expired in August 2008 and Mehrullah was seen for the first time in the boxing ring during the National Ranking Championship held here early this year.
Mehrullah got through strenuous training sessions with the Pakistan team in South Korea in May and then in Istanbul in June-July.
Though, it was expected to include him in the national squad for the Asian Championship in China in early June, but the selectors decided against giving the experienced boxer the opportunity as he still needed more time to fully get his lost rhythm back.
Though it may take the 2002 Asian Games Gold medallist Mehrullah some time to produce his top performance at international circuit but it is fortunate for the country that the determined man will be fully ready for the next year’s South Asian Games and Asian Games.
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