ISLAMABAD, (TDI): Pakistan is set to host the World Boxing Championship in Lahore on January 25, marking a significant milestone for the sport in the country, as announced by leading Pakistani boxer Usman Wazir on Saturday.
Boxing has a strong following in Pakistan, though aspiring athletes often face obstacles due to a lack of institutional structures to identify and develop talent. Success in the sport is largely driven by individual effort and determination.
Wazir, a renowned boxer and World Youth Champion, revealed that athletes from five countries—Indonesia, Iran, Thailand, France, and Pakistan—will compete in ten matches for the championship title.
“I want to promote Pakistan on the global boxing stage,” Wazir said, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. “I am working towards organizing a similar mega event in Islamabad in the future.”
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While cricket dominates Pakistan’s sports landscape, Wazir emphasized that other sports, including boxing, play an important role in enhancing the country’s international image. He noted that boxing is inspiring a growing number of young people to take up the sport.
Wazir called on the Punjab government, including Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, to sponsor the event.
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Emerging boxer Khushal Khan, who will represent Pakistan in the championship, expressed his admiration for Wazir as a source of inspiration for his own boxing career. Khan, undefeated in his last 14 fights, is determined to win the championship and bring honor to Pakistan on both a national and international level.
