Pakistan’s history-making boxer Fatima Zahra feels confident in her ability to perform well ahead of her 2026 Asian Games 60-kg bout, while the chances of medals for Pakistan in boxing remain slim.
The 22-year-old Fatima is carrying the hopes of a good performance for Pakistan as she has a record of pulling off surprises.
She became the first Pakistani woman to bag a Commonwealth Games medal in July in Glasgow.
She took a bronze there and was also the first Pakistani woman to secure a medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2025.
“It is a great honour for me to represent Pakistan on the international stage, and I am working hard, staying focused, and I have prepared myself to give my very best at the 20th Asian Games in Japan,” Fatima told Lost on the Desk from Japan.
“I will step into the ring with pride and courage. I just want to request the support of my country, and their prayers mean everything to me.”
Fatima is the last boxer to take the ring, and she will face Tajikistan’s Mijgona Samadova on September 26, while all the other boxers have been eliminated, including Irfan Khan, who lost to a Korean opponent in the 90kg event earlier in the day.
Fatima is one of the four boxers that the Pakistan Boxing Federation is featuring.
So far, Sumama Rehman participated in the 55kg men’s event and Maria Rind competed in the 51kg women’s category, but they both lost their opening bouts.
The Pakistan Boxing Federation Secretary Major Irfan Younis shared that Fatima and coach Tariq Ali have been sponsored by the Pakistan Sports Board, and they reached Japan on September 17, while the rest of the athletes and coaches, along with the boxing federation president Nasir Tung, left from Lahore shortly after Fatima.
“Fatima is in good shape, and we are hoping for the best from her, and the preparations have been good as well,” Younis told Lost on the Desk.
But he highlighted that Asian Games medals are tougher to win compared to the Commonwealth Games, as Fatima is coming into the competition on the back of her success in Glasgow.
“If we compare the Commonwealth Games, although there are 74 nations in them, and the Asian Games features a smaller number of countries, the competition is tougher because we have Asian nations that are world champions as well.
“For example, in men’s boxing, Uzbekistan is dominant; they have Olympic medals, and they are here. Uzbekistan had five medals out of seven in the Olympics; Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the Central Asian countries are very good.
“Similarly, India is ruling women’s boxing at the moment, overall. So this is a bigger boxing competition than the Commonwealth Games.
“I have to be honest, our chances to win a medal are very slim, and our athletes have given their best. And above all, it is about exposure, and the Asian Games is a huge platform.
“As far as the training is concerned, we had our boxers prepare for a month at the Army Directorate and then at the Pakistan Sports Board.”
Younis also highlighted that the federation has coaches on rotation, and so there is a different pack of coaches accompanying the athletes compared to the Commonwealth Games.
“The Pakistan Sports Board had a very limited capacity to support boxers,” he added. “Also, our boxers couldn’t get proper diet and nutrition due to lack of resources, but we are doing our best.”
-Fin-