WASEEM EYES *WORLD : BOXING HONOURS

Waseen eyes world title after WBA wins. This Pakistani boxer recently defeated Colombian Berrera to claim silver champion flyweight title.

There is a scar right above Muhammaed Waseem's left eye, right under his brow, but there is a smile on his face and his eyes are a home to humility, just the thing that set the World Boxing Association [ WBA ] number one apart from the rest of the athletes.

''I still remember sleeping with the mosquitos at the national coaching center, and now I'm going for the world title soon,'' smiles Muhammed Wasim, as we remembered his early training days when we first met in 2010.

Call it a wonder as he stands tall with the record of being the only Pakistani holding the World Boxing Council's silver champion flyweight title twice. 

He is now looking to take on the fight for unified world  championship after defeating Colombia's Barrera [ 24 wins, 13 KOs and a defeat ] 115-113, 115-114 and 117-111 in a unanimous decision in Dubai, which was also the WBA world title eliminator bout.

Artem Dalakian, is the current WBA world champion, meanwhile Julio Cesar Martinez holds the WBC world title, and it is the world champion's belt that Waseem is eyeing most ardently.

'' It was my favorite fight really. This one and the one against Giemel Magramo,'' Waseem told The Express Tribune, while sitting right next to beautiful wife Dr. Tabinda, as he had been in Karachi for the 2022 Commonwealth Games built-up event of Queen's Baton Relay that ent to different places in Karachi.

Waseem is more than a national hero, in fact mostly an unsung hero too, if one looks closely.

The fight against Magramo back in November 2016, exactly five years ago from his last fight was also him defending his WBC silver flyweight title. He knocked out Jether Oliva that year to become the first Pakistani to hold a WBC title. 

An impeccable career as a professional [ 12wins, eight through knock - outs and only one defeat ] that Wassem has created now is a result of an undying drive and an evidence of his strength of character. Despite hurdles, he carries on to move forward, and win too.

Coming back to the ring after the last fight that was in December 2020 against Jeny Boy Boca was not easy either.

Against Barerra, this was Wasim's reply to his own conscience as a boxer and an athlete on the road to glory.

''Coming back after almost a year, the pandemic had not been an easy time for anyone, but also because there were challenges.

We couldn't train abroad, the travel restrictions, the visa, I even trained in Islamabad tying rocks to my feet and running because we don't have world class facilities. However, I'm lucky to have coach Danny Vaughan, who had been a huge support and the man behind me winning my last fight especially,'' said Wassem.

Barrera had been a formidable opponent for the 34-year-old, and made sure that he dominated leaving Waseem out of breath in the ninth and 10th rounds.

''In the 10th round, I was almost at the verge of giving up. I was just trying to stay on my feet and he was firing everything he got,'' remembered Waseem. '' But then at the end of the round, Vaughan just motivated me to a point that I had to come back into the fight as a great boxer. ''

Partly the last minute inspiration that Vaughan mentioned was Waseem being a married man now, and keeping the honour of his mane, and his family is more important than before.

The World Students Society thanks Natasha Raheel.