Harroon Khan will compete for Pakistan from now on NOT UK!

[Nel]

Younger brother of flawed boxer, Amir Khan has snubbed Britain and has decided to instead compete for Pakistan in all future events.

Is this fair, since he was born in UK and so were his parents (i think). My grandad is Mexican, doesn't mean I can go and compete for them.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/daw ... tion-ts-04



This is an utter disgrace.

[Deno1986]

I don't think Khan's parent's were born in the UK, nearly sure I have heard his father speak and he has a muffled English/Asian accent. He has every right to represent Pakistan if he wants.

[DG.]

Well said,Deno.

Nothing wrong in representing your Parents country.

[control freak]

I don't think Khan's parent's were born in the UK, nearly sure I have heard his father speak and he has a muffled English/Asian accent. He has every right to represent Pakistan if he wants.

So you have no problem with the Khan's making millions out of Britain and the British people, then deciding to f**k of to America and snub them. They are racist.

[gobbles]

Was it a disgrace that Tyson Fury boxed for Ireland? Or that Tony Cesay boxed for Sierre Leone?
You get one life, you have to make the most of it. Haroon Khan boxed for England, but was overlooked for the GB squads. What do you expect him to do?

[DG.]

I don't think Khan's parent's were born in the UK, nearly sure I have heard his father speak and he has a muffled English/Asian accent. He has every right to represent Pakistan if he wants.

So you have no problem with the Khan's making millions out of Britain and the British people, then deciding to f**k of to America and snub them. They are racist.

You idiot, why open up another account just to write that?

[crusader]

Easier to make it on the Pakistani national team and place in Asian Olympic qualifiers (although Asian countries are getting better)

[chinny]

who cares? Good luck to the lad. Anyone remember Lennox Lewis?

[banjo]

I couldn't give a shyt who he represents, it's all about personal glory at the end of the day, you win for yourself not a flag.

[Horse]

How good is Haroon Khan?

Will this move negatively effect his marketablilty when he turn pro?

[whicker]

The Khan's dad was born in Pakistan, and came to England as a young adult, taking a job on a farm.

That said, what I do find a little odd is the way that article describes Harroon as "British Born." He is very much a British person, having be born, lived here his life and been educated here.

Compare, for example, to other athletes who have been born here, but moved abroad at a young age.


also, I just wonder if the orginal post had an element of "trolling" to it.

[Deno1986]

How good is Haroon Khan?

Will this move negatively effect his marketablilty when he turn pro?

Seen him box an Irish lad called Daniel Coughlan and Coughlan comfortably outboxed him winning 12-3 or something like that. Khan didn't look that impressive. Could very well work out like the two Hattons, one in the shadow of the other and boxing on the undercards of his brothers big fights.

[Magichands]

I don't think Khan's parent's were born in the UK, nearly sure I have heard his father speak and he has a muffled English/Asian accent. He has every right to represent Pakistan if he wants.

[larry cake]

i see this being a very long thread indeed.

[larry cake]

How good is Haroon Khan?

Will this move negatively effect his marketablilty when he turn pro?

in this country, definetly.

[physio]

I have no problem with this. It's every kids dream to compete in the Olympics and my feeling is that Khan would struggle to qualify if he represented Britain.
Didn't Adrian Dodson compete for both Guayana and Britain in the Olympics (88/92)?

[whicker]

Also, if this was Canada, Kenya, Greece or the Republic of Ireland (as example) that a first born generation Briton was choosing to represent, then I don't think people would care much.

With it being Pakistan people do seem to (perhaps subconsciously) assume "political" reasons -which is a silly way to think, but sadly how a lot of people feel about Pakistan at the moment. It's mentioned in the article, too.

I know people who are from England, but have Greek parents, Kenyan parents and Irish parents - and they are very much British, but with family connections to those other places as well. If they choose to compete for those countries, no-one would make it an issue.

It's a shame there is so much prejudice against Pakistan at the moment.

[slapbangwhallop]

Younger brother of flawed boxer, Amir Khan has snubbed Britain and has decided to instead compete for Pakistan in all future events.

Is this fair, since he was born in UK and so were his parents (i think). My grandad is Mexican, doesn't mean I can go and compete for them.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/daw ... tion-ts-04



This is an utter disgrace.

First off why is it a disgrace??

[sweetscience]

Amir had the opportunity to fight for Pakistan & USA in the Athens Olympics & he would have been paid to rep each of them

instead he choose GB & did itfor 'free' (less small amount of funding)

[whicker]

Athletes don't really go to the Olympics to win medals for their country. It is about personal success. The only reason the Team GB stuff is spouted is to make the general public feel involved.

I think it depends on the sport- but yeah, boxing is very much an indidivudal sport.

However, I think there are some selection criterias based on nationality.

EG, if it so happened that they needed 32 strawweights for the Games, and the 32 indidivudal best Strawieghts in the world were all from Mexico, would that be acceptable?

Or would inferiror boxers be allowed in at the expence of better boxers because of nationality?

(does that make sense?)

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Younger brother of flawed boxer, Amir Khan has snubbed Britain and has decided to instead compete for Pakistan in all future events.

Is this fair, since he was born in UK and so were his parents (i think). My grandad is Mexican, doesn't mean I can go and compete for them.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/daw ... tion-ts-04



This is an utter disgrace.

Well, it does mean you can compete for them and even get citizenship on the back of it.

And because you don't feel an affinity for Mexico - doesn't mean that others in a similar predicament to you should feel the same. And in my opinion - you can have a legitimate loyalty/affinity/respect/love for your parents country as well as the UK.

[JamesH]

My understanding is that Haroon wanted to represent the country of his birth but began considering representing Pakistan when he was left out of the selection of (I think) 32 fighters who get funding etc

Rob McCracken said it wasn't a final decision and there was plenty of time for someone to force their place in but Haroon clearly feels this is a better option for him - and I probably agree with him.

Of course, Amir did threaten to do the same when some considered him too young to go to the Olympics.

[banjo]

You are right but to me affinity has nothing to do with this. If I believed that I was talented enough to win an olympic medal but for whatever reason I was being overlooked by Team GB, I would compete for any nation that would have me.

As would I.

[MrBoxingUK2]

haroon wouldn't make the olympics squad anyway. saw him fight a few times, im not impressed

[hitman_hatton1]

haroon wouldn't make the olympics squad anyway. saw him fight a few times, im not impressed

he's rated 10 in the latest boxing news ratings.

so he's obviously not good enough to make the team.

he's spitting the dummy out and fighting for pakistan cos he's not in on merit.