By Emmerson Campbell
Rising boxing star Imran ‘Magic’ Khan is currently working on his flaws ahead of his International Boxing Association (AIBA) training camp from February 18 to March 10 in Cardiff, Wales.
The Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) boxer and joint junior sportsman-of-the-year was selected by the association to further develop his skills to enhance his chances of performing well at the Olympic box-off in May in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and hopefully the Olympic Games.
Stabroek Sport caught up with the joint junior sportsman-of-the-year and his coaches James Walcott and Wincel Thomas at the Harpy Eagles Gym in Albouystown yesterday where they disclosed some of the aspects they are working on.
“We are working on his jab since he got stabbed he has been cocking out his elbow before he throws his jab so that is one of the areas we are trying to correct,” said Walcott during the interview. “We are also working on him to throw his right hand without choking it, he usually keeps it too much to his side and that way he is not utilizing his reach as much so that is another area.”
Khan, who had sustained a stab wound on his left arm last month, said that the wound is healed and he is ready for Cardiff.
The Road to London Olympic pugilist who secured his visa on Tuesday said that he knows the camp will do well for his development and his chances in his future tournaments.
“I know the camp will do a lot for my development and chances of doing well at the Olympics will depend on how I stand and the exposure I get from the training in Wales.
“I just want to go there to learn and do my best,” he added.
When asked what he expects from Khan when he returns to Guyana, Thomas said that he expects a more intelligent and skillful boxer.
“We expect a better Imran Khan we expect a more skillful, intelligent, polished boxer – if anybody overseas look at him with his height they would say he needs to do a little more boxing, he likes to brawl a lot but he needs to do more boxing. He likes a brawl and that way he gives away his advantage and that’s his height and reach. When he goes out there and he sees other boxers he is going to be exposed to a whole new level and he is going to grasp. Imran is a smart guy and we expect him to learn a lot and we expect him to learn from Cardiff and do well at the Olympic box- off,” Thomas said.
Khan, along with table tennis star Nigel Bryan, was named joint junior sportsmen-of-the-year by the National Sports Commission.
