Former world light-welterweight champion Amir Khan lamented upon his academy getting closed in Islamabad.
The Pakistani boxer made a video and lamented, “I keep coming to Pakistan; initially, there was an academy here. Now, children message me that they need training and boxing classes. Why isn’t there boxing in Pakistan? I’ve spoken to officials and the government, but nothing happened. My gym was brand new and very clean, but it got shut down. I’m in Pakistan; tomorrow I’m going to England, and I’m very disappointed. I’m very upset that over a hundred thousand dollars I spent on the gym is now wasted.”
Amir emphasized that he needed help from the government to vacate the FC officials from the premises of the academy otherwise the dream of young boxers and his efforts to support them would go in vain.
He inaugurated his Boxing Academy in Islamabad near the premises of Pakistan Sports Complex in 2016, hoping it would nourish young boxers and produce champions for the country.
In 2016, the Director General Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera confirmed 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 efficiently.
He will return to England after getting no support from the government in this matter and is likely to use legal action in the future to get his boxing academy back so that the youngsters can train there in the future.