PARIS, Aug 2: Amir Khan is Britain's youngest Olympian in Athens. He will also be the loneliest being the only fighter from his country to qualify for the Games.
The 17-year-old lightweight faces a huge battle if he is to achieve his dream of bettering his hero Muhammad Ali's feat, who won Olympic gold at the age of 18.
That's because the undisputed king of the 60kg division is Cuba's Mario Kindelan, world champion and the gold medallist from Sydney in 2000. But the boy from Bolton, whose cousin Sajid Mahmood made his international cricket debut for England this summer, is not fazed.
"I know about Mario Kindelan but I think he's beatable," said aMIR who will become Britain's youngest Olympic boxer since Colin Jones in 1976 and is fighting in a lightweight category where former champions have included Oscar de la Hoya and Pernell Whitaker.
"I've also seen a couple from Asia and Africa and they have looked good but I think I will be alright against them and beat any of them." Amir, the son of a Pakistan-born scrap metal merchant and who booked his place in Athens by winning the Strandja Cup in Bulgaria in April, is not short on confidence.
Originally, the British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) did not want him to try for the Games fearing he was too young (he is still not old enough to fight in the country's amateur championships).
However, Amir responded by threatening to box for Pakistan instead if he wasn't allowed to compete under the British flag. He has also had his Athens build-up disrupted by seeing his regular coach Mick Jelley banned from his corner as rules state only one designated coach is allowed.
That honour goes to Terry Edwards, the head coach of the British amateur boxing team. "Mick can't come in my corner in the Olympics because he's a domestic coach," said Amir.
"It's the biggest tournament I'm going to be in so he was a bit upset and so was I. But he'll be in Athens and hopefully I'll see him before I go in the ring."
Britain won one gold in the ring in Sydney in 2000 through Audley Harrison's super-heavyweight victory - but at least he had company with the team boasting two fighters in the tournament.
Light-heavyweight Courtney Fry also made the line-up but lost in the first round. Lonely Amir will be hoping for a lot better. -AFP