Surprises highlight Pakistan Men’s Elite National Championships
Thirteen champions were hailed in the recently concluded 40th Pakistan Men’s Elite National Championships that featured unexpected results in the city of Karachi.
Army’s Muhammad Faheem delivered the biggest surprise of the tournament after stunning ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships bronze medallist Zohaib Rasheed of Navy in the minimumweight (48kg) class.
Fellow Army standout Azhar Ali eliminated Asian Games competitor Mehmood Sanaullah in the semifinals before grabbing the super heavyweight (+92kg) title with a hard-earned win against Mirza Azam of Air Force.
Asian Elite Championships competitor Zakir Hussain emerged atop featherweight (57kg), the strongest category in the national tourney, as he beat his national team senior Naqeeb Ullah.
Commonwealth Games competitor veteran Gul Zaib dominated the welterweight (67kg) and he had enough bouts and experiences to win four bouts in Karachi including his final against Mohib Ullah.
Navy’s Qaisar Ali Qalandar bagged the title of the light heavyweight (80kg) while Army’s favourite Bilawal Zia had an early exit still in the quarter-finals.
Zeeshan Ali eliminated veteran Mehmood-Ul-Hasan in the semi-finals of the cruiserweight (86kg) and he continued that performance in the final against Hasnain Abbas.
The event served as the first selection for the upcoming Asian Games set in Hangzhou, China on September 23 to October 8.
A total of 123 elite men boxers from 15 teams slugged it out for the medals and prize money, with Army topping the standings with 10 golds followed by Wapda with two and Navy with one.
Pakistan Boxing Federation’s Referee & Judges Commission official Mr. Muhammad Younis Pathan oversaw the competition as the Technical Delegate.
List of winners in the 40th Pakistan Men’s Elite National Championships
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