Abdul Khan was in nappies when his cousin Amir won the nation’s hearts and a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
By the time world champion Amir produced a career-defining performance against Marcos Maidana in 2010, Abdul was a seven-year-old watching wide-eyed in Bolton.
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On Saturday, featherweight Abdul faces journeyman Liam Fitzmaurice at Wembley in a watershed moment for British South Asian boxing.
The card is headlined by unbeaten light-welterweight Adam Azim and features prospects Mohammad Bilal Ali, Vijayraj Karia and Saqib Mehmood in the earlier bouts – meaning five south Asian fighters will share billing.
“Seeing Amir reach the heights of the sport only lit the fire in probably the majority of the South Asian kids out there, including me,” Abdul, 23, tells BBC Sport.
Amir rose to prominence after winning silver in Athens aged 17 and went on to capture world titles at light-welterweight, becoming one of Britain’s most high-profile boxers.
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Unbeaten in 14 professional fights with three knockouts, Abdul is the first to admit his surname helped carve his path. The family connection even led to him fighting on the undercard of Amir’s final professional bout against Kell Brook.
But after building his record on the small-hall scene and on international cards, the time has come to step out of the familial shade.
“Being known as his cousin was always going to be like that because of what Amir achieved,” Abdul says. “I’m grateful for everything he has done to open the doors – but it is all right getting through the doors, it is how good you are to stay in those rooms.
“It’s been my own hard work and dedication which has kept those doors open. This only gives me more of a push to just get out of the shadow. I think we’re all our own people and I’d love to shrug off that tag of Amir’s cousin.
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“My team have always said to build me in the right way and to explode when the time comes – now it’s my time.
“He done so much for me but I don’t want to latch onto anyone else’s name, you only appreciate it more – and get appreciated – if you do it this way.”
‘Boxing gave me a home’
While his sporting lineage might suggest an easy path, Abdul’s reality was far from privileged. When he was 10 years old, his parents separated. Growing up with his mother and two sisters, he carried a heavy responsibility at a young age.
“I’m the man of my house and I have been since I was 10,” he says.
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“It was hard because my father was never in my life, never gave me a penny or anything. Boxing gave me that escape from the world where I came and everything outside of the gym meant nothing.
“This is why I stuck at it. It gave me purpose, motivation, and more than anything, it gave me a home.”
Abdul won the national youth ABA title as an amateur before the Covid lockdown prompted him to turn professional early and “learn on the job.”
Though they didn’t connect properly until Abdul was 13, Amir has been a consistent source of guidance since.
“He was always a phone call away,” Abdul says. “Whatever advice I needed, he was always there. He always said to have the right people around you who really care for you, work hard every single day and commit 100%.”
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Fighting in Pakistan and world-title dreams
Abdul Khan (right) made his professional debut in October 2021 [Getty Images]
Trained by Alex Matvienko at Elite Boxing Gym in Bolton, Abdul – through Amir’s connection – also had the chance to spar with future all-time great Terence Crawford.
“It was priceless,” he says. “Sharing the ring with a pound-for-pound great. I felt all star-struck in there and surreal.
“He was probably only going for it at 20%, but I picked little things from him – distance, speed, reading the game.”
Abdul believes he can move towards a world title within the next two to three years. He also harbours a long-term dream of fighting in Pakistan, where he regularly visits family in a village near Rawalpindi.
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“I love Pakistan, I love the culture,” he says. “There’s a lot of talent out there, they should invest a bit more into boxing like they have done with cricket.
“If I fought in a cricket stadium in Pakistan? It would sell out 10 times over.”
For now, though, the focus is Wembley Arena and a night that brings together a wave of British South Asian talent on one card.
Abdul says: “I want all kids – not just South Asians – who have come from broken families to look at someone like me, knowing that you can have a goal, stick at it and you will get the fruits of your labour. With the right people around you, anything is possible.”
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How to watch Azim v Claggett on BBC & what is the running order?
You can watch all the undercard action from 18:30 BST before the main card begins at 20:30.
From 20:00, you can also follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app.
From 18:30 on BBC iPlayer:
Joel Kodua v Will Harrison (welterweight)
Ergal Elezaj v Dan Garber (heavyweight)
Saqib Mehmood v Simas Volosinas (lightweight)
From 20:30 on BBC Two:
Adam Azim v Steve Claggett (light-welterweight)
Francesca Hennessy v Aurora de Persio (bantamweight)
More boxing from the BBC
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