Pakistan's Shoaib Khan Zehri to face Indian rival in UBO World title clash

Pakistani professional boxer Shoaib Khan Zehri is set to represent the country in the upcoming Universal Boxing Organisation (UBO) World title bout in Turkiye, where he will go up against Indian opponent Thakur Kumar. 

The historic clash is scheduled to take place in Turkiye on September 27.

Zehri will be Pakistan's sole representative in the prestigious event, marking a significant milestone in the nation's 76-year boxing history.

The Quetta-born boxer expressed his determination ahead of the highly anticipated contest, saying that his ultimate goal is to bring glory to the country. "I will give my best to raise Pakistan's flag high," Shoaib said.

"This fight is about Pakistan's honour. I am fully prepared and confident of beating my opponent," he added.

The 27-year-old boxer also underlined the dedication and hard work he has put into his training camp. "I have trained hard for this challenge. My focus is on discipline, endurance and strategy," he said.

"The youth from Balochistan and from all over Pakistan look up to me, and I want to show them that with commitment and hard work nothing is impossible," he concluded.

In recognition of his achievements, the Balochistan Police recently appointed Zehri as its goodwill ambassador.

He was also conferred the honourary rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) by Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari on February 19.

Notably, he is the second athlete from the province to be given this honour, following fast bowler Naseem Shah.

Zehri's accolades include being a WBC gold medalist, Asian Boxing Federation (ABF) Asian Champion, and Pakistan Boxing Council (PBC) national champion. He also heads Chief SKZ Promotion.

The 27-year-old maintains an unbeaten professional record with six wins, one draw, and one cancelled bout.

Zehri has steadily built a reputation as a disciplined and technically gifted boxer. His latest victory came on November 8, 2024, at the Fitbox Fighting Championship, where he outclassed Ziaullah Amin to secure a unanimous decision.

He defeated Muhammad Bilal in September last year at the Boxing Fight Show, again winning by unanimous decision.

Zehri also convincingly beat Sajid Khan in January 2024 in a bout titled Shoaib vs Khan.

Although his scheduled fight against Anocha Phuangkaew in March 2023 was cancelled, his 2022 campaign showcased his rise on the international stage.

On November 30, 2022, he defeated Indonesia's Hendrik Barongsay via unanimous decision in The Challenger event.

Two months prior, on September 28, 2022, Zehri secured a third-round victory over Thailand’s Sornram Sopakul in Fight of the Future.

He also fought to a split draw against Irfan Ullah on July 31, 2022, at New Friend's Professional Boxing Fight Night — the only blemish on his otherwise flawless record.

On June 10, 2022, he faced Ali Raza in the Khan vs Farooq event, where he impressed with a composed unanimous decision victory.