PATTAYA (The Thursday Times) — Quetta boxer Abida Batool has become the first Pakistani woman to win a Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) world title, taking the vacant atomweight belt against Thailand’s Wandee Sinongkhrot in Pattaya.
The 26-year-old won on a split technical decision at FCC Stadium on October 31, on the “Brave Hearts” card. The scheduled eight-round fight was stopped in the fifth after an accidental headbutt left Batool with a fractured nose, and the ringside doctor called off the contest, sending the result to the judges’ scorecards.
Two judges scored it 50-45 and 49-48 for Batool, while the third had it 48-47 for Sinongkhrot.
It was Batool’s second title fight in Thailand this year. In January she challenged Wisuta Sririttidet for the WBC Asia atomweight title in Bangkok but lost. She went into this bout ranked as Pakistan’s top female professional boxer and third in the WBC Asia rankings.
Batool began boxing in 2018 and has won Pakistan’s national professional title. She has also competed in mixed martial arts, wushu and kickboxing, and came up through financial hardship and early resistance from her family. She prepared in Islamabad before travelling to Thailand.
After the win she thanked her family, her coach Shariq Khan and the people of Pakistan. “This is just the beginning,” she said. “I’m coming for more titles.”
