Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) has issued a detailed clarification into the allegations leveled by Pakistan’s premier boxer, Muhammad Waseem.
In an interview on Monday, Waseem had revealed that PBF officials had asked him for a bribe when he was offered a contract by a Korean promoter. Waseem revealed that the Korean promoter spotted him during a fight and offered to sign a contract with him in order to promote him at the top level.
Champion boxer Muhammad 'Falcon' Waseem (@iamfalconwaseem) reveals he had to pay 20% of his earnings to #Pakistan Boxing Federation president who wouldn't let him sign a contract with a Korean promoter without the bribe.
Full interview: https://t.co/qawbo6pB5U
#DSTV #Boxing pic.twitter.com/Tm2UkguHFi— Daily Scoop TV (@DailyScoopTV1) January 17, 2022
According to Waseem, the promoter had conditioned the signing of the contract with PBF’s permission. However, when he contacted the federation in this regard, he was asked to share 20 percent of his earnings with them in order to get permission.
Responding to these allegations, PBF said that the current management has no link with the illegal demand for money from the boxer.
“It is informed that the present management of Pakistan Boxing Federation was elected on 26 January 2017 and subsequently re-elected on 24 January 2021. Thus, the current management of PBF has no link with illegal demand of money from Muhammad Waseem,” the PBF statement said.
“It is worth mentioning that PBF neither promotes professional boxing that is not held under the auspices of International Boxing Association (IBA), nor PBF has the authority to deal with the professional boxing programs or boxers who enter into professional circuits other than those governed by IBA or PBF,” it added.
The PBF maintained that Waseem was part of the boxing circuit that is not recognized by PBF. Therefore, he remains independent in deciding for himself without any role of the Pakistan Boxing Federation.
The statement, however, mentioned that the issue will be discussed and investigated in the next meeting of the Executive Committee of PBF in February 2022.
