WEB DESK: Pakistan’s Fatima Zahra created history on Tuesday by becoming the country’s first female boxer to guarantee a medal at the Commonwealth Games after defeating New Zealand’s Jordan Wilson in the women’s 60kg quarter-final.
The 22-year-old produced a dominant performance to register a unanimous 5-0 victory, with all five judges scoring the bout in her favour. Under the tournament rules, all losing semi-finalists receive bronze medals, ensuring Pakistan’s first-ever Commonwealth Games boxing medal in the women’s category.
Pakistan’s women’s boxing team made its international debut in 2016, and just a decade later, the national flag is guaranteed to feature at the women’s 60kg medal ceremony.
Speaking after her historic win, Fatima said the achievement reflected the progress of boxing in Pakistan and expressed hope of going one step further by winning gold.
“We are developing in boxing, and this is a sign that we are moving in the right direction. This is our first step. We are hoping for the gold as well, and this medal will mean a lot for Pakistan boxing,” she said.
Fatima controlled the contest from the opening bell, with four judges awarding her a 29-28 victory, while the fifth scored the bout 30-27 in her favour.
She will now face Canada’s Marie-Bathoul Al-Ahmadieh in Friday’s semi-final, with a place in the gold medal match at stake.
While Fatima celebrated a landmark achievement, Pakistan’s men’s boxing campaign came to an end after Qudratullah was knocked out of the men’s 60kg competition by Northern Ireland’s Jude Gallagher.
Gallagher, the reigning Commonwealth Games 57kg champion, dominated the opening round on all five judges’ scorecards. Qudratullah was penalised in the second round for repeatedly lowering his head, and despite a strong finish in the final round, he was unable to overturn the deficit as Gallagher secured victory by split decision.
Pakistan also faced disappointment in athletics and swimming.
Mohammad Ismail finished 41st among 46 competitors in the men’s 400 metres heats after clocking 50.60 seconds, missing qualification for the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, swimmer Hamza Asif finished 46th out of 70 competitors in the men’s 50m butterfly heats with a time of 26.09 seconds, ending his campaign before the next round.
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