Maleeha Ali’s Bronze Medal: Pakistan Questions Judges’ Verdict at IMMAF World Championship

Maleeha Ali – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – Maleeha Ali’s bronze medal is a proud moment for Pakistan, but it came with a lot of debate. She lost a split decision to Russia’s Polina Baldina in the semi-finals of the IMMAF World Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The Pakistan MMA Federation has now challenged the result. It wants a full review of how the judges scored the fight.

The federation also corrected an earlier mistake. It had said Maleeha reached the final, but she actually lost in the semi-finals and finished with bronze.

Maleeha showed real courage in Tbilisi. She kept fighting even with a fractured toe, a swollen eye and a minor jaw dislocation.

Her journey began with a split decision win over Veronica Drozdova, a two-time European champion from Russia. She then beat Mexico’s Andrea Gabriela Guzman Salazar by unanimous decision to reach the semi-finals.

The semi-final was very close. The judges gave three different scorecards. One judge scored it 27-30 for Baldina, and another gave it 28-29 to Baldina. The third judge scored it 28-29 in favour of Maleeha.

Federation President Omar Ahmed called the result unfair. He said his fighter deserved a better outcome.

The federation has sent a formal appeal to the head of the IMMAF Refereeing and Judging Commission. It asks for round-by-round scores, an explanation of the differences and a face-to-face technical review.

Ahmed also said Pakistan faced a similar experience at last year’s championship. He called for more consistency and transparency in international judging.

Maleeha’s twin sister, Manisha Ali, also had a tough event. She won gold at the IMMAF World Cup in Angola earlier this year. In Tbilisi, she lost a narrow split decision to Poland’s Martina Karok in the lightweight quarter-finals.

The appeal is still pending. Whatever the outcome, Maleeha returns home with a bronze medal and plenty of pride for her fighting spirit.