Syed Muhammad Asif and Awais Ali Khan delivered the best performances in the Pakistan National Championships

The 37th edition of the Pakistan National Championships was held quickly after the Bangkok ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships where the South Asian country also attended. Pakistan’s most experienced active international boxers such as Syed Muhammad Asif, Naqeeb Ullah, Gul Zaib, Awais Ali Khan and Sanaullah Durani won their weight classes in the National Championships.
The event was organized by the Army Sports Directorate collaboration with the Pakistan Boxing Federation. Their capital city Islamabad was the host of the event where the Pakistan Army Boxing Club claimed seven gold medals and topped the medal standings. WAPDA achieved three titles and altogether nine teams earned at least one bronze medal in the Pakistan National Championships.
Pakistan is planning to attend as many international events as possible in 2019 including the AIBA World Boxing Championships and the South Asian Games later this year. Army boxer Muhammad Saeed eliminated his main rival Jahanzaib Khan already in the quarter-finals and continued his winning path against Pakistan Navy’s Daud Khan in the final of the light flyweight (49kg).
Syed Muhammad Asif competed in the main international events in the recent years as the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. The 25-year-old South Asian Games silver medallist boxer kept his dominancy and defeated all of his four rivals at the flyweight (52kg). His final opponent was WAPDA boxer Atta Ullah but Asif was able to control all of the rounds and won his next national title.
Naqeeb Ullah was quarter-finalist in the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games last August and his technical skills were too strong for all of his four opponents in Islamabad. Naqeeb Ullah had tough final against another international level boxer Air Force’s Islamic Solidarity Games quarter-finalist Niamat Ullah but the WAPBA boxer was able to manage his win at the strong bantamweight (56kg).
Ibrahim Khan took Pakistan Army’s third gold medal in Islamabad where he won his first national title following his success over Railways’ Muhammad Ashraf at the lightweight (60kg). Commonwealth Games competitor Ahmad Ali won the title of the lightweight (60kg) in the 2018 edition of the Pakistan National Championships and he was able to capture his next one in Islamabad but at the light welterweight (64kg) following his successes over Asian Games competitor Suleman Baloch and Adnan Hassan.
Jakarta 2018 Asian Games competitor Gul Zaib arrived as titleholder of the welterweight (69kg) and he had a tough job once again in the final. Army’s Zaib had to face with AIBA World Boxing Championships competitor Aamir Khan in a repeat match but attacking style delivered his next national success. Army’s Saif Ul Manan was not the main favourite for a gold medal at the middleweight (75kg) but he shocked Navy’s South Asian Games silver medallist Tanveer Ahmed in the final.
Pakistan’s best boxer Awais Ali Khan was quarter-finalist in the Tashkent 2017 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships and qualified for the Hamburg AIBA World Boxing Championships as well. The experienced Khan continued his dominancy in the national level in Islamabad as well and defeated Baluchistan’s Ajmal Pathan in the final of the light heavyweight (81kg).
WAPDA’s Sanaullah Durani was involved to the national in 2014 therefore his international experiences paid off in the final stages of the heavyweight (91kg) against Air Force’s AIBA World Boxing Championships competitor Mehmood Ul Hassan and Kashmir’s Anees Taj. National Champion Ahmed Ali moved up to the super heavyweight (+91kg) in the recent months but he was able to win his next title after beating Air Force’s Mirza Azam in the final.

List of the winners in the Pakistan National Championships
49kg: Muhammad Saeed
52kg: Syed Muhammad Asif
56kg: Naqeeb Ullah
60kg: Ibrahim Khan
64kg: Ahmad Ali
69kg: Gul Zaib
75kg: Saif Ul Manan
81kg: Awais Ali Khan
91kg: Sanaullah Durani
+91kg: Ahmed Ali

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