Karachi’s Lyari: Coach Younus Qambrani Founded Pak Shaheen Boxing Club In 1992, Opened It To Girls In 2013, And Has Since Produced Aliya Soomro; Pakistan’s First Woman World Boxing Champion Who Won Her WBA Asia Title In 45 Seconds
According to Al Jazeera, to millions of Bollywood followers, Lyari is synonymous with brutal gang warfare; it is where Dhurandhar, Bollywood’s highest-grossing film of all time, and its recently released sequel, Dhurandhar The Revenge, are both set. Each film has earned more than $100 million.
But to Lyari locals, the neighbourhood of nearly 950,000 people is a melting pot of cultures and tradition rooted in history far deeper than Bollywood has dared to explore; Pakistan’s mecca of football, home to an emerging rap and hip-hop scene, and increasingly a boxing haven.
Boxing coach Younus Qambrani founded Pak Shaheen Boxing Club in 1992, beginning with boys aged seven to sixteen. In 2013, he opened the club to girls; his daughter Anum, then 16, became its first female member. It was at Qambrani’s club that Aliya Soomro, Pakistan’s first woman to win a world boxing title, began her training. Soomro took a mere 45 seconds to knock out her opponent from Thailand to win the WBA Asia 105-pound category.
Lyari is Karachi’s oldest recorded settlement, with the earliest inhabitants arriving in 1728. “Whoever is prepared for war is prepared for peace,” Qambrani told Al Jazeera, explaining why he believes boxing is not just a sport, but a vital defensive skill for the next generation.
To check out our previous coverage on Pakistan, sports, and youth empowerment, read our articles here.
