Former world light-welterweight champion Amir Khan expressed his disappointment after his boxing academy in Islamabad was shut down. In a video, Khan shared his frustrations about the closure, saying, “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.”
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Khan highlighted the need for government assistance to remove FC officials from the academy premises to preserve the facility for the benefit of young aspiring boxers. He initially opened the Boxing Academy in 2016 near the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad, aiming to develop local talent and produce champions.
In 2016, the Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera, confirmed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with Amir Khan for the academy. According to the agreement, Khan was to provide coaches and boxing equipment, while the PSB was to offer all necessary support to ensure its operation.
Khan plans to return to England due to the lack of support from the local authorities and is considering legal action to regain control of his academy, hoping to reopen it for future training of young boxers.
