Indo-Pak boxing series starts tomorrow

Lahore, May 18 Commonwealth championship bronze medallist and national champion in middleweight category Parminder Singh will spearhead India's challenge against Pakistan in the Tasaadum Boxing series that gets underway in Karachi tomorrow.

Other members of the Indian team for the three-day series are Diwakar Prasad (featherweight) and Jai Bhagwan (lightweight).

Pakistan will field Asian Games champion Mehrullah (featherweight), Asghar Ali Shah (lightweight) and Nadir Khan (middleweight) in the first ever series beteen the two countries.

The series would begin with a middleweight bout between Parminder and Nadir tomorrow. Jai Bhagwan fights Asghar on the second day followed by a bout between Diwakar Prasad and Mehrullah on the final day.

''We obviously want to make friends in Pakistan but that would happen outside the ring. Inside it, we want to win,'' Indian team coach Jaydev Bisht was quoted as saying by The News.

''Pakistan have some very tough boxers and my boys will have to fight to their potential in the series.'' Bisht said Indian boxing officials would soon invite Pakistan for a return series later this year.

UNI