Boxing: Khan Threatens to Turn Pro

Britain's Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan is threatening to break his promise to compete at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 by considering offers to turn professional if the English Amateur Boxing Association does not quickly come up with a financial package to help him stay amateur.

Khan's manager Asif Vali said he intended to meet leading promoters, including Frank Warren.

"We've been waiting for the ABA to come back with offers, and it's taking such a long time we have to think about Amir Khan's long-term security," said Vali. "If the ABA have not forwarded us a concrete offer by the end of this week we will have no choice but to begin speaking to everybody else out there."

Warren would relish the opportunity to guide Khan's career, and said yesterday: "The first I knew about this is when I heard his manager had been speaking to the Today programme on Radio Four. But he's invited to come to watch Ricky Hatton fight in Manchester next week and I would be delighted to sit down with Amir and see what we can do.

"Perhaps his manager is just trying to put a bit of pressure on the ABA, but I hope he is serious about turning pro, because Amir is the best young prospect I have seen for some time."

Khan is also believed to have been in contact with the former World Boxing Organisation featherweight champion Naseem Hamed, whose family had a promotional tie with Barry Hearn.

The ABA hope to put together a £40,000-a-year scholarship for Khan, who had said: "I want that gold medal. I'm staying amateur and not turning pro. The future is definitely Beijing."