LAHORE: Pakistan’s premier professional boxer and three-time WBC world silver flyweight champion Mohammad Waseem on Tuesday announced his availability for playing in the 2024 Paris Olympics Qualifiers.
“Yes I am available for the qualifiers,” Waseem told ‘The News’ from Islamabad.
There is a three-pronged qualification system in boxing for the Paris Olympics. The 19th Asian Games have also been given the status of the qualifiers. The Asian Games are pencilled in for September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China.
There are two world qualifying rounds next year but their exact details are yet to be announced.
“I am ready to negotiate the matter with the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) and we can decide the things. I am more eager to represent Pakistan in the Olympics, an event which I am missing in my career,” Waseem said.
After a productive decade-long amateur career during which the Quetta-born fighter also won one bronze and one silver in the Commonwealth Games and a bronze in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games he switched over to professional circuit in 2015.
And there, too, he bewildered the world with his exceptional talent. He became the WBC world silver flyweight champion in 2016 in only his fourth bout, which is a rare achievement. He then went on to clinch such two more titles.
Waseem, also a former WBC NO1, said that he is eligible to feature in the Olympics qualifiers.
“I am eligible to feature in the qualifiers. You know I have not played any professional fight for over one year now. If a boxer does not feature in professional boxing for six months then he can play in amateur circuit and I can do so,” Waseem said.
Waseem had played his last IBF world title fight against Sunny Edwards of England in Dubai early last year. Despite keeping the English fighter under incessant pressure the Pakistani fighter lost that fight.
This was the second time in his career that Waseem lost his world title fight. Waseem was confident that he can qualify for the 2024 Paris Games.
“If I was given a chance to feature in the qualifiers I am confident I will not only qualify but will also win a medal in the world qualifying rounds,” Waseem said.
However Waseem said that foreign training would be extremely important for that cause.
“I will need a sufficient foreign training for this purpose,” Waseem said. When PBF secretary Col (retd) Nasir Tung was approached he expressed his happiness over Waseem’s decision.
“He is most welcome and we will have him,” Nasir told ‘The News’. “It will not only add to his feathers. He has rendered meritorious services for Pakistan in amateur circuit but Olympics is missing in his career. I think, if he is committed, then this decision will not only help him but also Pakistan,” Nasir said.
“We had also offered him to play Olympics for Pakistan. He has the required potential and we are ready to sit with him and talk on the matter before going ahead,” Nasir said.
Nasir said that the PBF would also try its level best to arrange foreign training programme for the top boxers so that they could press for the Olympics seats.
“And if Waseem comes in then it will be a matter of great happiness for all of us,” Nasir was quick to add.
Waseem had come very close to earn a ticket for the 2012 London Olympics but lost narrowly in the quarter-finals in the Asian qualifiers in Astana.
“Had I won that fight I could have easily won silver medal in that event,” Waseem said.
Alam Zeb Safi Alam Zeb Safi is a senior reporter for The News