Britain's teenage boxer, who did UK proud by winning a silver in the Olympics 2004, is the latest star in the UK. He is the new face of British multiculturalism. On the eve of the Olympic lightweight final, the headline in the Bolton Evening Telegraph said it all. It read: "Fighting for us all".
Feted by the Bolton Borough Council as a local hero, wooed by Britain’s leading promoter, Frank Warren, who is dangling a multi-million pound deal before Khan to turn him into a professional, TV corporations such as Sky and BBC are now keen to show boxing events on their screens - post-Khan win.
Will he turn pro or will he not has become the most hotly debated question among the boxing fraternity. With the spotlight turned firmly on him and promising to stay there for a long time, his personal life is being keenly tracked, too. Reportedly relatives close to the family state that Khan has agreed to the marriage after being shown a video of the 17-year-old girl, who lives with her mother and sisters in Rawalpindi.
His father, who is Khan's inspiration in life, however, says his
son will not be unduly rushed into anything he does not want. (info from http://www.muslimnews.co.uk)
Did
you know?
The Bolton youngster is the youngest boxer since Floyd Patterson in 1952 to win an Olympic medal. Amir Khan is also Britain's youngest Olympic boxer since 1976.
Aussie heartthrob Russell Crowe will play Amir Khan in a forthcoming biopic of the Bolton youngster's life. The £80 million epic will recreate Bolton on a back lot in Leeds.
In an attempt to delay Khan turning pro, British Amateur Boxing Association is ready to offer him a package worth £70,000 ($126,000) a year.
Factfile
Date of Birth:
December 8, 1986
Nationality:
British Asian
Parents:
Amir's father Shajaad moved to the
UK in 1970 from Pakistan. Khan, the son of a Pakistan-born scrap
merchant became a car mechanic in England.
Education:
Sports Development, Bolton College
Profession:
Amateur boxer; student
Achievements
2003:
Gold at Junior Olympics
2004:
Gold at European Championships and
World Junior Championships
2004:
Wins Strandja Cup, qualifies for Olympics
2004:
Wins an Olympic silver
The
other side
Nickname:
Golden Boy. He has also been labelled
the new "Naz" after British professional boxer 'Prince' Naseem
Hamed. He is not too fond of the label, and says: "I like the
way Hamed boxed but outside the ring he was too big-headed.
I'll keep my own feet on the ground and my family's support
helps me too."
Hero/Idol:
Muhammad Ali and British professional
boxer Ricky Hatton.
Inspiration:
His father
Said
What...
In a letter sent to Bolton Evening Telegraph, Boltonian Harold Heys, wrote: "Could I just say that Amir Khan’s dad, Shajaad, and his Union Flag have done more for cultural harmony in the country in the past few days than the race relations board and its many hangers on have, in nearly 40 years."
Of him, Britain's Audley Harrison who won an Olympic gold in Sydney says Amir is "mentally perfect and has the eyes of a tiger".
Amir says: "Asians are thin on the ground in British teams and it's a big thing for me to get a medal. I'm just going to stay as I am - normal, down to earth and with my feet on the ground. I hope it could push a lot of Asians into sport and show that, with the support of your family, as an Asian you can get anything you want."
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