He became the youngest British Olympic Boxing medalist when he won silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics at the age of 17. At the age of 22 he won the World Boxing Association (WBA) International Lightweight Title becoming Britain’s third youngest world champion. He has defeated five world champions so far and has lost only once in his entire professional career.
Do you know who this person is? He is Amir Khan also known as “King Khan,” a British boxer of Pakistani descent. In addition he is a proud Muslim and a great ambassador for Islam. He was recently invited by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to a White House dinner for America’s leading Muslim athletes. Khan moved to Hollywood, CA. for training purposes about two years ago.
Khan is also an active member of his local and worldwide community. He opened a gym in his local hometown of Bolton, England to keep youth off the streets. He visited Pakistan during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and handed out food parcels to children in the camps. Khan has continually assisted in raising money for many charitable campaigns, as well as donating some of his own money.
In a highly corporate and materialistic driven world of stardom, Amir Khan has managed to uphold his morals. He rejects advertisements for alcohol companies or casinos. He maintains a great relationship with his family and even involves them in his career. Amir Khan’s rapidly growing and diverse fan base is a testament that great character is highly appreciated by all people. In fact, in a world plagued by various celebrity scandals, it is great to see a shining star who has earned fame based on his talent and uses it positively.
You can catch Amir Khan in a fight against Lamont Peterson at the Washington D.C. Convention center on Saturday, December 10. Also follow him on twitter @AmirKingKhan. He posts updates on his everyday media outings around the district.
All photos courtesy Azeem Baig of ARW Studios Photography
