Like it or not, he was a role model for underprivileged children caught at the crossroads of drugs, poverty, and now international terrorism. Moments after Khan wrapped up a first-round TKO victory, the police issued a red alert for a bomb scare and evacuated the arena.Īt the ripe age of 18, Khan was not only a professional fighter, but also an unofficial spokesperson for Muslims and Asians in the U.K. It was embroidered with the word “London” in black ribbons to mourn the victims. “I hope, by stepping into a ring, I can show all young kids in Britain, whether they are white, Muslims, or whatever, that there are better things to do than sitting around on street corners getting into trouble and mixing with bad people.” Ten days after the attacks, Khan proudly held the Union Flag when he walked to the ring. Khan, whose Olympic run established him as the country’s most prominent homegrown Muslim athlete, had no choice but to speak up. Three of the four bombers were, like Khan, of Pakistani origin, and all of them hailed from within a hundred miles of Khan’s home in Northern England. The coordinated bombings on London’s transport system in July 2005 were the largest terrorist attack in British history. He became not only the “pride of Bolton,” his hometown, but also “the great young hope of British Boxing.” Khan decided to turn professional soon after, but days before his debut, the mood around Khan’s celebrity changed. It started early, when Khan was 17 years old and won a silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Khan himself has little control over how the people watching him choose to interpret his success. One fighter, whose ethnic background, birthplace, and blinding hand speed mean very different things to different groups of fans. He has been a symbol - well, more like symbols. Since the very beginning of his career, Amir Khan has been more than just a boxer.
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