LAHORE – The country's top boxers will be seen in action in the 34th addition of the National Boxing Championship being played from April 23 at Punjab College of Commerce Hall.
Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) secretary M Akram Khan said this at a news conference held here on Friday. Organising Secretary of the event M Yousaf Butt was present on the occasion.
The PBF secretary said the Punjab Boxing Association (PBA) in collaboration with the national federation was organising the five-day premier activity being participated by 14 affiliated units of the federation.
"It will be a grand boxing event in which a record number of 150 boxers will participate in various weight categories. FATA, which has been given playing rights, will make their debut in the competition and we welcome them under the fold of the PBF," said Akram.
The participating teams are all the four provinces, Islamabad, Army, Navy, PAF, Railways, Wapda, Police, Higher Education Commission, Pakistan Rangers and FATA.  Answering a question, the PBF secretary said Pakistani boxers failed to qualify for the London Olympics after the PBF could not train them for a longer time period as a short duration training camp was organised which could not serve the purpose.  "The main reason of organising short duration training camp was to save money which was spent on the organisation of a boxing tournament on the direction of PBF president Dooda Bhutto. It is unfortunate that we could not qualify for the Olympics and an inquiry is underway to determine the facts responsible for it," he added. Pakistan Olympic Association president Lt Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hasan will inaugurate the event whose finals will be played on April 27, he concluded.