Boxer Amir Khan keen on academy in Punjab

GLASGOW: Despite the stardom, boxer Amir Khan has not forgotten his roots. His face lights up every time the words India or Pakistan get into the conversion.
He looks every bit excited when talking about that part of the world. And the former two-time light welterweight world champion has some plans for the region too.
"I've been asked by (Abhey Singh) Chautala, the Indian boxing chief to open a boxing academy in Punjab.This is something I would like to do. I met him in Dubai recently and he invited me to India to have a look around for setting up an academy," Khan said on Friday.
"I am opening academies in Pakistan and I have an academy in England. If we can have one in India, we can have competitions between us." A strong advocate of safety in boxing, Khan was all for the return of headgear in the sport. "I'd probably say headguards should come back, especially when you have got boxers fighting maybe five times a week," he said.
Despite being a celebrity here, Khan, the youngest Britisher to win an Olympic medal at 17 years at the 2004 Athens Games, has no airs about him. He comes across as a simple guy who loves to talk about his sport as much as food. He doesn't mind joining you watching the semifinal bout featuring Indian boxer, Pinki Rani. "She's good. She's pretty quick," he pointed out as the Indian dominated the first round. "I met Vijender (Singh) in the Athletes Village. He's a good boxer and we talked about his career.
"Indian boxers have improved their style, skills and I like that about them," said Khan. "They have improved over the years. They have done well to bring different coaches from different parts of the world. They are serious about their sport.
I had met their coach (Gurbax Singh) Sandhu at the London Olympics and was impressed by their plans."
Asked how he got into boxing, Amir says he was just a kid when his father put him in the gym near their home in Bolton. "I was a hyper-active kid. I was very naughty. When I was about seven or eight my father put me in the gym, so that I can vent my energy there. I never looked back after that," he said.
Having made it big in the boxing world, 'King Khan' laments the lack of facilities that hampers talent from Pakistan coming up in the sport. "There is a lot of talent in India," said the boxer of Pakistani Punjabi descent, "That's the case with Pakistan too. The only difference is that there are facilities in India and they are making use of what they have got. Pakistan should learn to do the same."