Two boxers from Punjab threw in the towel before their opponents from the University of Karachi (KU) on Tuesday to save their lives during the final matches of the Inter-Varsity Boxing Championship 2011-12.
The Directorate of Physical Education Karachi had organised the tournament that started on March 17 and invited boxing teams from all over the country.
In the finals, two boxers from Punjab opted to live rather than win when some activists of a student organisation started abusing them from outside the ring and warned them that they will not be allowed to go back home alive if they win the fight.
In the 60-kg category, Bilal surrendered and allowed a KU boxer to win when a man jumped into the ring, put a gun to his head and warned him that if he wins, he will be killed. Bilal, who was representing the Government College University Lahore, chose to surrender and stepped out of the ring.
Bilal told Pakistan Today that he was threatened by an unidentified armed man. “When a man puts a gun to your head, there is nothing you can do,” he added. “A gold medal is not more precious than my life.”
The manager of the Government College University Lahore boxers, Zahir said Bilal was being abused by people sitting outside the ring when he was closing in on a victory.
“Bilal had won two rounds and when the final round started, a man from the crowd jumped into the ring and threatened him. Bilal informed me about this and I advised him to surrender,” he added.
The second incident took place with a boxer of the University of Central Punjab, Moiz Khan, who was fighting in the 91-kg category final.
When the match started, Moiz had the upper hand over the KU boxer and won the first round.
After that, a large number of activists of a student organisation stepped into the ring and attacked him.
The management of the tournament pushed them out of the ring and restarted the match. However, the activists again barged into the ring and attacked Khan, who suddenly surrendered and went missing from the ground.
The captain of the University of Central Punjab teams, Qasim Hassan told Pakistan Today that Khan was attacked twice during the match and that is why he surrendered. “Moiz mysteriously disappeared from the ground. We have started searching for him. Even his cell phone is switched off,” he added. Khan was still missing by the time this report was filed.
Punjabi boxers discover the wild, wild Karachi
