14 Oct 2015
Doha, 14 October 2015. On Wednesday morning, the professional British boxer and two-time former world champion Amir Khan visited Aspire Academy and was taken on a guided tour through the facilities. During his visit, on which he was accompanied by Yousuf Ali Al Kazim, President of the Qatar Boxing Federation, he also meet with Director General Ivan Bravo and heard more about the Academy’s philosophy.
“I have always been involved in sports, but boxing is my passion. I love watching football and I am a big Bolton Wanderers fan, but I have two left legs and was never good at it. It’s a shame I can’t play, because the football facilities I have seen here at the Academy are just amazing”, said the Olympic boxing medalist, who won silver at the 2004 Athens at the age of 17.
The 28-year-old, who lives near Manchester and uses the same gym as Manchester United-star Wayne Rooney, sees great potential for his sport in Qatar. “There’s a lot of love for boxing in Qatar, that’s why the current AIBA World Boxing Championship is held here and the event has been amazing so far. I enjoyed Doha very much and I might consider coming here back for a training camp.”
For young people who are interested in starting with boxing he has only one advice. “Being successful is all about dedication. You have to be very disciplined, go to bed early, live on a proper diet and stay focused at all times. If you work hard and believe in yourself everything is possible.”