ISLAMABAD, 1 September 2004 — The Olympic silver medal success of Amir Khan, the British boxing sensation of Pakistani origin, has sent ripples of pride through his grandparents — although they lament he did not represent Pakistan.
The 17-year-old was the toast of Olympic boxing as he fought his way to the final of the lightweight category thus becoming the youngest ever British Olympic medalist.
“I would have liked Khan to have fought for Pakistan but since he is brought up in Britain and trained there it’s a loss for Pakistan,” Khan’s grandmother Kulsoom Begum told AFP.
Like Kulsoom, 52, many fans in Pakistan feel that Amir Khan’s victory was a loss for their country and a gain for Britain.
Had he won his final bout against Cuban Mario Kindelan on Sunday, Khan would have become the youngest ever Olympic gold medal winning boxer and also emulated his childhood hero Muhammad Ali, who won an Olympic gold when 18 years old.
“It is a proud feeling for me and I hope that my grandson wins more and more laurels,” Kulsoom added.
