Pakistan Professional Boxer Muhammad Waseem has made a shocking revelation about how he was forced to pay a bribe to the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF).
In an interview with Daily Scoop TV, Waseem talked about the tournaments he has won and about where he did his training. He also revealed that he was forced to sign an agreement with the federation’s president in order to get the nod for his contract with Korean Promoter Andy Kim.
As per the deal, 20 percent of whatever money Waseem earned, from prize money, monthly allowance or anything else, went to the federation.
“Fraud and deception are commonplace in all facets of life in Pakistan,” said Waseem. “When I found the Korean Promoter, he [Andy Kim] told me that he would be happy to sign contract with me and help me become a professional boxer. But he said that he wanted to have a chat first with the President of Pakistan Boxing Federation and only then could he share the contract with me.”
“When I approached the federation’s president, he asked me to sign a contract with him as well. I didn’t have any other option but to accept. I could not say no to him because then it was likely that my talent would also go to waste. So, I agreed to it and they even took my thumb impression. It happened here in Karachi,” he added.
Waseem, who recently won the World Boxing Council (WBC) silver flyweight title for a second time, also lamented the lack of support for local boxers in Pakistan.
“Unfortunately, in Pakistan not much attention is paid to sports other than cricket. I have reached a point in my career, thanks to Allah Almighty, where I don’t need any help or sponsorship from anyone in Pakistan,” he said. “But there are so many fighters of Pakistan, from Lyari, Quetta and elsewhere, whose talents have gone to waste. They didn’t get an opportunity like I did. If they had gotten similar opportunities, they would have been giving interviews now as well.”
The boxer also urged parents to allow their children to play and participate in different games. He said that they take sports as a non-serious thing but they should also let their children play sports. He said this is the reason why Pakistan is behind in sports.
It is pertinent to mention here that Waseem has 12 wins in his professional boxing career, eight through knock-outs, and only one defeat.
Celebrities like Fakhr-e-Alam and director Nabeel Qureshi called out the boxing federation while Alam urged the authorities to take notice of this fraud.
