Khan Could Turn Pro

Amir Khan's agent has revealed the Olympic silver-medallist is considering turning professional in the near future.

Asif Vali has set up meetings with two promoters over the next week, including Frank Warren, who represented Frank Bruno and Prince Naseem Hamed.

"We've got an opportunity to meet the promoters so we're going to listen to what they have to offer, Vali said.

Khan became a household name on the back of his Athens performances and might be tempted to capitalise on his fame now rather than wait four years.

The move comes as Vali has grown frustrated at the Amateur Boxing Association's delays in offering Khan a financial package that would allow the 17-year-old to remain an amateur through to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

However, the agent denied that money concerns would be the prime objective in any agreement Khan enters into. "It's got to be the right thing for Amir, the right path for Amir to go down and with a team which needs to be on his side," he said.

"We've been waiting for the ABA to come back with offers for Amir Khan and it's taking such a long time we have to think about Amir Khan's long-term security."

A final figure is yet to be agreed with UK Sport, which uses lottery funding to support elite athletes competing in Olympic sports, but the ABA believe they can offer an annual grant of around £40,000.

And, though the rewards are far greater on the professional circuit, Vali said: "If things can be sorted out imminently, we'll listen to them."

The ABA's development director Paul King sympathised with Khan's dilemma: "We understand people are going to be queuing up to sign Amir Khan but we're in the position to say that we've put some money aside for his elite scholarship, the first time that's ever been done by an amateur body.

"I'm led to believe that his top level funding will go up drastically to say the very least. It could be about £40,000 and then, of course, he has commercial opportunities.

"We want to protect him from turning professional too early and give him an opportunity to develop and flourish."