‘Cousin Amir opened doors, now it’s my time’ – Abdul Khan

Abdul Khan was in nappies when his cousin Amir received the nation’s hearts and a silver medal on the 2004 Athens Olympics.

By the point world champion Amir produced a career-defining efficiency in opposition to Marcos Maidana in 2010, Abdul was a seven-year-old watching wide-eyed in Bolton.

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On Saturday, featherweight Abdul faces journeyman Liam Fitzmaurice at Wembley in a watershed second for British South Asian boxing.

The cardboard is headlined by unbeaten light-welterweight Adam Azim and options prospects Mohammad Bilal Ali, Vijayraj Karia and Saqib Mehmood within the earlier bouts – that means 5 south Asian fighters will share billing.

“Seeing Amir attain the heights of the game solely lit the fireplace in most likely the vast majority of the South Asian children on the market, together with me,” Abdul, 23, tells BBC Sport.

Amir rose to prominence after successful silver in Athens aged 17 and went on to seize world titles at light-welterweight, changing into one among Britain’s most high-profile boxers.

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Unbeaten in 14 skilled fights with three knockouts, Abdul is the primary to confess his surname helped carve his path. The household connection even led to him combating on the undercard of Amir’s closing skilled bout in opposition to Kell Brook.

However after constructing his report on the small-hall scene and on worldwide playing cards, the time has come to step out of the familial shade.

“Being often called his cousin was all the time going to be like that due to what Amir achieved,” Abdul says. “I am grateful for every little thing he has carried out to open the doorways – however it’s all proper getting via the doorways, it’s how good you might be to remain in these rooms.

“It has been my very own laborious work and dedication which has stored these doorways open. This solely offers me extra of a push to only get out of the shadow. I feel we’re all our personal individuals and I would like to shrug off that tag of Amir’s cousin.

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“My crew have all the time stated to construct me in the precise means and to blow up when the time comes – now it is my time.

“He carried out a lot for me however I do not wish to latch onto anybody else’s title, you solely admire it extra – and get appreciated – for those who do it this manner.”

‘Boxing gave me a house’

Whereas his sporting lineage would possibly counsel a simple path, Abdul’s actuality was removed from privileged. When he was 10 years outdated, his dad and mom separated. Rising up along with his mom and two sisters, he carried a heavy accountability at a younger age.

“I am the person of my home and I’ve been since I used to be 10,” he says.

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“It was laborious as a result of my father was by no means in my life, by no means gave me a penny or something. Boxing gave me that escape from the world the place I got here and every little thing outdoors of the health club meant nothing.

“That is why I caught at it. It gave me objective, motivation, and greater than something, it gave me a house.”

Abdul received the nationwide youth ABA title as an beginner earlier than the Covid lockdown prompted him to show skilled early and “be taught on the job.”

Although they did not join correctly till Abdul was 13, Amir has been a constant supply of steerage since.

“He was all the time a telephone name away,” Abdul says. “No matter recommendation I wanted, he was all the time there. He all the time stated to have the precise individuals round you who actually take care of you, work laborious each single day and commit 100%.”

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Combating in Pakistan and world-title desires

Skilled by Alex Matvienko at Elite Boxing Fitness center in Bolton, Abdul – via Amir’s connection – additionally had the possibility to spar with future all-time nice Terence Crawford.

“It was priceless,” he says. “Sharing the ring with a pound-for-pound nice. I felt all star-struck in there and surreal.

“He was most likely solely going for it at 20%, however I picked little issues from him – distance, pace, studying the sport.”

Abdul believes he can transfer in direction of a world title inside the subsequent two to 3 years. He additionally harbours a long-term dream of combating in Pakistan, the place he recurrently visits household in a village close to Rawalpindi.

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“I like Pakistan, I like the tradition,” he says. “There’s a number of expertise on the market, they need to make investments a bit extra into boxing like they’ve carried out with cricket.

“If I fought in a cricket stadium in Pakistan? It will promote out 10 occasions over.”

For now, although, the main target is Wembley Area and an evening that brings collectively a wave of British South Asian expertise on one card.

Abdul says: “I need all children – not simply South Asians – who’ve come from damaged households to have a look at somebody like me, understanding you could have a objective, stick at it and you’ll get the fruits of your labour. With the precise individuals round you, something is feasible.”

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The right way to watch Azim v Claggett on BBC & what’s the working order?

You possibly can watch all of the undercard motion from 18:30 BST earlier than the primary card begins at 20:30.

From 20:00, you can too observe reside textual content commentary on the BBC Sport web site and app.

From 18:30 on BBC iPlayer:

Joel Kodua v Will Harrison (welterweight)

Ergal Elezaj v Dan Garber (heavyweight)

Saqib Mehmood v Simas Volosinas (light-weight)

From 20:30 on BBC Two:

Adam Azim v Steve Claggett (light-welterweight)

Francesca Hennessy v Aurora de Persio (bantamweight)

Extra boxing from the BBC