Pakistani fighter Ezzatullah Kakar laments lack of government support

KARACHI: Pakistani fighter Ezzatullah Kakar said he has been fighting for the country for the last 17 years without any government support.

Speaking exclusively to ARY News after defeating the world’s number six fighter in a Bare-knuckle boxing event in the United States of America (USA), Kakar said he has suffered through high risks during his career to reach this stage.

“I came a long way to reach this stage. I belong to a small village in Balochistan where community fights put people’s life at high risk,” he shared.

“I have been an enthusiast of sports since my childhood and started my career as a Karate master. Step by step, I reached where I wanted to, and alhamdulillah today I won this mega-fight that no Pakistani fighter has ever won before,” he said.

Kakar said throughout his whole journey he never got support from the government. “Government never supported me. I was kicked out from the national team just because I belong to a small village. Lack of government support led me to participate in an event in Australia illegally due to which I was imprisoned for eight years,” he lamented.

“After coming out of jail, I went to the USA and practiced there as I didn’t want to lose my dream of representing Pakistan. Alhumdulillah, I became the first Pakistani fighter to take part in a dangerous Bare-knuckle boxing event. My next fight is even bigger than this,” he disclosed.

“I want the government to support their athletes so that nobody else suffers the way I did. It was a tough in fact very tough journey, to be honest without their support,” he concluded.