Amir Khan inaugurates boxing academy in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: British boxer of Pakistani origin Amir Khan formally inaugurated his Boxing Academy in Islamabad late Saturday hoping it will produce champions.

The Amir Khan Boxing Academy has been set up here at Pakistan Sports Complex in collaboration with Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to train young pugilists of the country.

“Pakistan is a great country. I really believe in the immense talent that we have here. That’s why I have opened this academy”, he told media after the inauguration.

He said the academy was modelled after the one he established in Bolton England stating it will soon start producing world champions like United Kingdom.

“I produced amateur national champions, gold medalists, European and world champions in UK and the same I want to do in Pakistan,” he maintained.

Amir, a two-time former welterweight world champion, stepped up two divisions to fight Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas last month but lost the WBC middleweight showdown.

He believed Pakistan could be a top nation in boxing. “My dream has been to help Pakistan in sports. And being a boxer myself, I decided to extend support in boxing, he said.

To a question about his recent statement to fight at Rio Olympics under Pakistan’s flag, he said that he was a proud British boxer who had represented the UK at the Athens Games.

Director General PSB Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera on the occasion said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with Amir Khan for the academy.

Under the agreement, Amir would provide coaches and boxing equipment for the academy while PSB would extend all necessary support to run it in an efficient way.

Earlier, British High Commissioner in Pakistan Thomas Drew also joined Amir Khan at the inauguration ceremony.