Iraq seeks improvement in boxing

KARACHI — Iraq has the potential to do well in international boxing once the country stabilises, said the country's boxing chief on Saturday, after his team won three medals in a tournament in Pakistan.

Three of the eight Iraqi boxers entered in the 20-nation Benazir Bhutto International Boxing Championship, which finished in Karachi Friday, won medals -- a result Ghazi Abdul Samad termed satisfactory considering the situation in Iraq.

"I am happy with the results and hope that once the situation back home improves we can achieve more success at international level, especially with the Asian Games coming up in China later this year," Samad told AFP.

Ahmed Badr won a silver after he lost a one-sided final to Cameroon's Mulema Joseph 15-0 in the 69 kg category.

Mostafa Mohammed Galloub won another silver in the 91 Kg event, losing the final to Xuan Bao of China after the referee stopped the bout.

Hassan Ali Shakir won a bronze after losing his semi-final bout to the host country's Nadir Baloch in the 48 kg category on Thursday.

Samad said the boxers find it hard to train under the prevailing circumstances.

"There is lack of facility and lack of funds, but once the situation improves and with more government support we can hope of improvement and our sports like football and boxing can win more laurels," said Samad.

He said he hopes an event in Kazakhstan next month will help his team prepare for the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in November 2010.

"We will send six boxers to the Kazakhstan championship starting from February 15 and hope they get the kind of preparation needed for an event like the Asian Games and come good in the bigger events," said Samad.

Iraq was banned from competing in the Beijing Games last year before the International Olympic Committee lifted the ban following negotiations. However, they couldn't get any entry in boxing.