GILGIT: The biggest professional boxing event in the country’s history witnessed major achievements for Pakistan as top-class boxers Usman Wazeer and Asif Hazara triumphed in two World Boxing Association (WBA) titles fights, here at Lalak Jan Stadium on Sunday.
In the most awaited fight of the event, the Asian Champion Wazeer knocked out the opponent Phatiphan Krungklang of Thailand in the second round to clinch the WBA Asia Welterweight title.
Meanwhile, Asif Hazara defeated the Indonesian boxer, Rexi Akbar to pull off the WBA Asia South Super Flyweight Title.
In the biggest fight of the event, two times World Champion Arthur Villanueva of the Philippines wrestled with Thailand’s Jakpan Santong for the WBA South Asia Bantamweight Championship. The Filipino star boxer took down the opponent in the ninth round after a grappling fight to win the title.
The mega event also witnessed the first female boxing match in the country’s history as Hunza-hailed Raheela faced Quetta’s Zainab in a thrilling fight that continued for 6 rounds and ended in a tie.
In other fights of the evening, Pakistan’s Shafiullah defeated the Indonesian boxer while a Malaysian boxer knocked out Pakistani boxer Sikandar Abbasi. WBA Arabian sea champion Muzaffar Khan took down his South Korean opponent after a tough battle.
Thousands of spectators witnessed the mega event as people belonging to every age group gathered at Lalak Jan Stadium to watch the action-packed matches.
Addressing the crowd on the occasion, Wazir, the organizer of the mega event, claimed that he organized the event on his own without any government support to promote the soft image of the country as well as the region.
” I organize the fight on my own to promote the young talent of Gilgit Baltistan and the soft image of the country around the world,” said Wazeer. ” For the first time in the country’s history, international boxers belonging to 10 countries have participated in a boxing event, for which the government has provided no support,” he added.
Gilgit’s first-ever professional boxing festival featured 10 international boxers from 20 countries, making it a momentous occasion for boxing in the country.
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