Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan Olympic Association secretary general Muhammad Khalid Mahmood on Thursday was elected as president of the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) during an elective meeting of the body in Peshawar. Khalid, the reigning president of the Punjab Boxing Association, had also served as secretary general of the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP). Muhammad Nasir Ejaz Tung was elected as secretary general during the elective meeting where representatives of the Pakistan Sports Board and Pakistan Olympic Association were also present as observers. Doda Khan Bhutto was elected the chairman of the national federation by the PBF general council. In order to accommodate Bhutto, the PBF had amended the PBF constitution at its general council meeting on December 14 in Karachi. As per rules amended for creating the post, the chairman will be part of the general council and executive committee and will be responsible for assignments of the PBF at international forums in consultation with PBF president and secretary general. It is pertinent to mention that Bhutto had completed two tenures as PBF president and as per the National Sports Policy he was not eligible to contest elections for the president’s post.

In a statement, Khalid vowed to put in every effort to promote boxing at all levels in the country by taking all the stake holders in confidence. He said country-wide talent hunt programmes would be carried out to find new talent and groom it under a long term plan. “We have immense boxing talent and what is needed to groom it under the watchful eyes of coaches,” he said and added: “the sport of boxing will be kept away from politics as such its involvement in the past damaged the cause of the game in the country.”

New PBF office bearers elected from next term of four years:

Chairman: Doda Khan Bhutto

President: Muhammad Khalid Mahmood

Executive Vice President: Muhammad Razzaq

Vice Presidents: Nasir Mahmood, Muhammad Asghar Awan, Zulfiqar Ali Butt, Prof Farhan Ebadat Khan and Iqbal Hussain

Secretary General: Muhammad Nasir Ejaz Tung

Treasurer: Muhammad Sadiq

Joint Secretary: Sharjil Zia Butt

Members Executive Committee: Major (r) Muhammad Riaz, Muhammad Tasawarul Haq and Syed Hafiz Rehman.