LIVERPOOL, England, 20 February 2005 — Britain’s Olympic Games silver medalist Amir Khan revealed his is enjoying boxing at domestic level as he homes in on the Amateur Boxing Association light-welterweight title.
Khan, who fought at lightweight in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, beat Steve Williams inside three rounds on Friday here with an emphatic 23-3 points victory in the North West Counties final to secure a quarterfinal spot in the prestigious national competition.
Khan performed heroics in Athens, where he became British boxing’s hottest property with a run all the way to the Olympic final before being beaten by Cuban great Mario Kindelan.
But 18-year-old Khan admitted he has had to adapt the style that earned him success on the international stage.
“A lot of people probably expect me to go out there and box like I did at the Olympics,” said Khan.
“But there is a big difference between domestic boxing and international boxing. You pick your shots more in international boxing — it is slower and more accurate.
“At domestic level it is more like a brawl. I enjoy both and the good thing about me is that I can adapt to both styles.
“It is a long time since I last boxed domestically but I learnt last night that I can still box at that level and win fights.”
Khan, however, has not entirely sidelined his international ambitions. The Bolton boy-wonder spurned a string of professional offers following his Olympic adventure to chase gold at the next Games in Beijing in 2008.
But before that he may get another chance to take on Kindelan.
The veteran has reportedly come out of retirement and could be part of the Cuba team that travels to Liverpool in April to take on the Four Nations. And Khan insists he is ready for another crack at the legendary lightweight, who beat him 30-22 in the Athens final.
