Amir Khan Boxing Academy shuts down in Islamabad due to FC officials’ stay

ISLAMABAD: Former light-welterweight world champion Amir Khan has expressed concern over the closure of his boxing academy, aimed at training underprivileged and poor boxers, in Islamabad.

Former world champion lamented officials’ non-seriousness over the absence of boxing culture in Pakistan. The Amir Khan Boxing Academy in the federal capital has been closed due to the illegal stay of Frontier Corps (FC) for the last year. 

British-Pakistani boxer stressed 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.

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In a video message, a British former boxer said, “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,” he said in a video message.

He inaugurated his Boxing Academy in Islamabad’s Pakistan Sports Complex in 2016 under his Amir Khan Foundation campaign to 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.