Haider Ali (boxer)
| Haider Ali | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | Hazara |
| Rated at | Super Featherweight |
| Height | 5 ft 8 1⁄2 in (174 cm)[1] |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Born |
12 November 1979[1] Quetta, Pakistan[1] |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 9 |
| Wins | 5 |
| Wins by KO | 1 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 0 |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Pakistan
| ||
| Men’s Boxing | ||
| South Asian Games | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 1999 Kathmandu | Featherweight |
| Asian Boxing Championship | ||
| | 2002 Kuala Lumpur | Featherweight |
| Commonwealth Games | ||
| | 2002 Manchester | Featherweight |
Haider Ali (born 12 November 1979) is a Pakistani boxer. He is a Commonwealth Games gold medalist.
He started Boxing at an early age, having decided to become a boxer after watching coverage of the Seoul Olympics in 1988 and became the National Champion in 1998. He won Gold Medals in Green Hill International Boxing Tournament held at Karachi in 1998 and Late Imam Khomeini International Boxing Tournament held in Iran, 1999. He represented Pakistan in 1999 SAF Games held in Nepal where again he won a Gold Medal. Haider Ali emerged as the new Asian Boxing Champion when he won a Gold Medal in XXI Asian Boxing Championship held in Malaysia during June, 2002. He remained unbeaten till the final round when he drubbed Thailand's Champion Pugilist to claim the Asian title. He fought courageously against heavy odds and got the honour of 'The Best Boxer of the tournament'.
He has been instrumental in projecting the image of Pakistan in the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester from 25 July to 4 August 2002. He boxed with great courage and determination to reach the final and was pitted against the Indian boxer Som Bahadur Pun. He defeated the Indian boxer by a margin of 28-10 in a four-round final and won first ever Gold Medal for Pakistan in Boxing at the Commonwealth Games.[2]
Having won Gold, he was wanted by Frank Warren and was signed as his manager soon after. Haider turned pro in 2003 and moved to east London in Leyton, UK to start his pro career. During his medical, he was found to have two perforated ear drums. That he was able box at the level he had without it affecting his performance was notable. After undergoing surgery he made his pro debut on the undercard of Takaloo's World Boxing Union light-middleweight title defence against Jose Rosa, at Bethnal Green's York Hall.
He beat Buster Dennis on point to record his first victory as a pro. However, he was not able to keep his early success going and lost his fourth fight. In 2005, when he lost his sixth fight Ricky Burns, Haider was dropped by Frank Warren’s Sports Network.
Haider moved to Walsall, UK and tried to restart his pro boxing career, but after a loss, win and draw, his career came to an abrupt end. Without the funds he has been unable to box since then.
References
- 1 2 3 "Haider Ali". boxrec.com. BoxRec. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ↑ "Awards". sports.gov.pk. Pakistan Sports Board. Retrieved 6 June 2015.