Imran to attend my Saudi Arabia fight: Amir Khan

LONDON: British Pakistani boxer Amir Khan says Prime Minister Imran Khan will attend his boxing match in Saudi Arabia next month.

Amir will face Indian fighter Neeraj Goyat in Jeddah on July 12 in a fight that is being billed as an attempt to build bridges between the South Asian rival nations. “We wrote to the Pakistani prime minister (and) he jumped to the occasion and he said he was going to be at the fight,” Amir Khan told Arab News at a press conference here.

In a tweet, he said, “Prime minister of pakistan @ImranKhanPTI as agreed to attend Saudi Arabia, Jeddah season boxing fight. @amirkingkhan vs India’s Neeraj Goyat, July 12th #PakvInd #boxing #Pakistan #India #SaudiArabia @wbcmoro @WBCBoxing”

Promoters also said they hoped Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also attend - something many would consider unlikely after an escalation in hostilities in the disputed Kashmir region earlier this year. Amir Khan met the prime minister in October last year during a visit to Pakistan just two months after the cricket legend turned politician took office. However, the Foreign Office did not confirm whether or not the prime minister would leave for Saudi Arabia to watch the contest.