LONDON, Feb 3: Britain’s Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan takes pride from the fact that he has become a role model for Asian youngsters. The 19-year-old from Bolton, whose family are of Pakistani origin, burst into the limelight with his runner-up spot in the lightweight boxing category at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

And after keeping his unbeaten professional record by defeating Belarus Vitali Martynov last weekend, the teenager has been nominated for the Entertainment Television Sports Personality of the Year Awards on Saturday.

“It’s a great honour. It’s a very big thing. It’s going to open eyes - I’m giving Asian kids out there a path to follow,” Amir told The Independent.

“They’ve got someone to look up to. Seeing other sportsmen and women, it’s like a target for them to reach, an ambition. I used to be the same. I looked up to cricket players such as Imran Khan.”

Amir, who has been described by promoter Frank Warren as the best prospect he has ever had in his stable, said he hoped it would encourage more young people to take up sport.

“Supporting young people so they go into sport. Positive things like focusing on youngsters doing well in sport and hopefully it will make them do more,” he said.

Warren compared Amir as on a par with a young Sugar Ray Leonard, insisting that he could fight for the British title as early as December this year.

“The performances we saw from Amir at the Olympic Games in Athens were as eye-catching and dazzling as anything I saw Sugar Ray Leonard do in the Olympics,” said Warrned.

“And I would put that against a backdrop of saying that Leonard is the best boxer I have ever seen.”

Amir, who said that he felt chastened by his visit to Pakistan to see the earthquake devastation at Christmas as an ambassador for Oxfam, has only fallen out with his promotional team over one thing: his love for curries and kebabs.

Khan added: “The thing is, before the Olympics, a nutritionalist advised me that I should be eating greens, vegetables, fruit, pasta, for six weeks leading up to the bouts, but to be honest, that food just made me feel weak.”

But he prides himself on his mental strength.

“I’m always strong. I’m tough,” he added.—AFP