Muhammad Ali a hero for aspiring boxers in Lyari

In rundown Lyari, infamous for its gangs and drugs, perhaps the pain of losing boxing legend Muhammad Ali is felt the most.

Home to over 400 boxing clubs, and birthplace of boxer Hussain Shah who brought Pakistan an Olympics Bronze Medal in 1988, Lyari has supported the sport in both its good and bad days.

Inside the Lyari People’s Stadium young boxers who come for practice every day recall how they grew up on a dose of Muhammad Ali’s videos. “Muhammad Ali is my hero,” says a teenage boxer who is practicing inside a boxing ring. “I see videos of his fights on the internet.”

Perhaps it was Muhammad Ali’s fight for the voiceless, his streak of rebellion, the colour of his skin—he became a hero for these people sick of gangs, drugs and stigma attached to their locality.

“He looks like one of us. He does not look like an American. It boosts our confidence,” said a trainer.

“When Clay converted to Islam, we celebrated here,” said Malang Baloch who represented Pakistan in the Olympics.

Despite being notorious for gang wars, drugs and criminals, like Uzair Baloch, Lyari has had its share of aspiring boxers.

But over the years, the sport has somewhat lost its favour to more popular games, like cricket and hockey, and the government departments that patronised boxing teams have wrapped up their sports quota. The disappointed Lyari boxers that once starved for glory have resorted to drugs and gang wars.

The sport has seen some revival after the Pakistan rangers and boxer Amir Khan have organized tournaments in the locality. In December last year, the Amir Khan Boxing Tournament was held. The British-Pakistani boxer flew from England to attend the final of the match, and distributed certificates and trophies to the winners.

On a bright note, even girls are practicing the sport in many of these clubs and aim to make it to international games.