Amir Khan is plotting a dramatic Olympic comeback – for Pakistan – after professional boxers were controversially given permission to compete at Rio 2016.
Khan welcomed Wednesday’s decision by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) at its extraordinary congress in Lausanne, even though other British fighters responded furiously.
The 29-year-old, born and raised in Bolton, shot to fame by winning a silver medal for Great Britain in the lightweight division at the 2004 Olympics before turning professional a year later.
He said last year he would love to “turn it into a gold medal” if pro boxers were given the green light to go to Rio and he revealed on Wednesday that he wanted to do so while representing the country of his parents’ birth. Speaking at a promotional event in Karachi, the former light-welterweight world champion said: “It’s a decision which I welcome.
“It will help boxers, and if I am permitted as per rules and by my promoter then I would love to compete for Pakistan. I will be very happy if I can compete in Olympics. I want to serve Pakistan.”
Khan’s younger brother Haroon represented Pakistan at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where he won flyweight bronze.
But the AIBA denied him permission to fight for the country at London 2012 as he had represented Britain at junior level.
The British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) is not expected to consider the selection of professional fighters in Rio.
The BABA has only two places remaining on the British squad, at light-welterweight and welterweight, and is confident at least one of its fighters will qualify at an event in Baku later this month.
Aside from Khan, the response to the AIBA’s decision to open the door to pro fighters less than 10 weeks before the Olympics was scathing.
Ricky Hatton posted on Twitter: “Pro boxers in the olympics. What are AIBA thinking. Goodbye amateur boxing now as far as I’m concerned. Can’t say I’m a fan of this.”
Carl Frampton, a former amateur who went on to be crowned a super-bantamweight world champion as a professional, branded the decision “ridiculous”. “They’re two different sports. It’s like a badminton player playing tennis,” he wrote on Twitter.
That echoed the sentiments of former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who said last week: “It’s ridiculous, it’s foolish, and some of the pro fighters are going to get beat by the amateurs. It’s just going to happen, I really believe that.” Tyson claimed the three rounds in the Olympics would work in favour of the amateurs, with professionals used to fighting as many as 12 rounds.
Others have warned of dangerous mismatches between established boxers and inexperienced amateurs. It is unclear how many professional fighters would want to enter an Olympic tournament – fighting up to five times over two weeks and going unpaid.
Manny Pacquiao had been slated to be a superstar attraction in Rio but decided last week to focus on his political career as an elected senator in the Philippines.
AIBA president CK Wu said: “In my belief, every athlete should have the right to go to the Olympic Games.”
Article courtesy of UK Telegraph
Khan welcomed Wednesday’s decision by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) at its extraordinary congress in Lausanne, even though other British fighters responded furiously.
The 29-year-old, born and raised in Bolton, shot to fame by winning a silver medal for Great Britain in the lightweight division at the 2004 Olympics before turning professional a year later.
He said last year he would love to “turn it into a gold medal” if pro boxers were given the green light to go to Rio and he revealed on Wednesday that he wanted to do so while representing the country of his parents’ birth. Speaking at a promotional event in Karachi, the former light-welterweight world champion said: “It’s a decision which I welcome.
“It will help boxers, and if I am permitted as per rules and by my promoter then I would love to compete for Pakistan. I will be very happy if I can compete in Olympics. I want to serve Pakistan.”
Khan’s younger brother Haroon represented Pakistan at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where he won flyweight bronze.
But the AIBA denied him permission to fight for the country at London 2012 as he had represented Britain at junior level.
The British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) is not expected to consider the selection of professional fighters in Rio.
The BABA has only two places remaining on the British squad, at light-welterweight and welterweight, and is confident at least one of its fighters will qualify at an event in Baku later this month.
Aside from Khan, the response to the AIBA’s decision to open the door to pro fighters less than 10 weeks before the Olympics was scathing.
Ricky Hatton posted on Twitter: “Pro boxers in the olympics. What are AIBA thinking. Goodbye amateur boxing now as far as I’m concerned. Can’t say I’m a fan of this.”
Carl Frampton, a former amateur who went on to be crowned a super-bantamweight world champion as a professional, branded the decision “ridiculous”. “They’re two different sports. It’s like a badminton player playing tennis,” he wrote on Twitter.
That echoed the sentiments of former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who said last week: “It’s ridiculous, it’s foolish, and some of the pro fighters are going to get beat by the amateurs. It’s just going to happen, I really believe that.” Tyson claimed the three rounds in the Olympics would work in favour of the amateurs, with professionals used to fighting as many as 12 rounds.
Others have warned of dangerous mismatches between established boxers and inexperienced amateurs. It is unclear how many professional fighters would want to enter an Olympic tournament – fighting up to five times over two weeks and going unpaid.
Manny Pacquiao had been slated to be a superstar attraction in Rio but decided last week to focus on his political career as an elected senator in the Philippines.
AIBA president CK Wu said: “In my belief, every athlete should have the right to go to the Olympic Games.”
Article courtesy of UK Telegraph
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