Taimoor Khan eyeing for OPBF heavy weight title

Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Professional Boxer and World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Champion is aiming to clench Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) heavyweight title this year for the country.

Talking to reporter here on Thursday, Khan said that beating top-notch boxers is in his wish list. He said that OPBF title is the gateway for world heavyweight title, but sponsorship is currently the hurdle to accomplish his feats.

Khan said that his fight with world number 54 Justis Huni an Australian professional boxer was due in August but due to visa issues he could not grab the opportunity.

“I’m determined to win the OPBF heavyweight title for Pakistan for the first time,” he expressed.

He said that his ideal boxers are Ukrainian professional boxer Oleksandr Usyk and the British professional boxer Anthony Joshua due to their unmatched skills, movements, stamina and cardio.

Talking about his training and camp he said that before landing in the ring, he got training for two to three months which included tough exercise, and strength training based on focused and healthy diet. Khan said that he must get harder training for his upcoming though fights.

Talking about his passion for the sports, Khan said that if he was not a boxer, then he would have chosen to be a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter or a Rugby player.

Expressing his favorite win against Vedant Agarwal where he won the Asian Heavyweight title for the first time, Khan said that his opponent was experienced and tough, but he managed to knock him out easily. “Beating Indian boxer on ‘Independence Day’ was my happiest movement”, he added.

He said that Pakistani sportsmen should be given opportunities similar to the neighboring country like Iran, India and Thailand to uplift the sports in the country.

Talking about his career in boxing, he said that his dream was to get World Boxing Council (WBC) belt. ‘Now my aims are higher and I want to achieve more like Tyson Fury”, he said.

He said that extensive talent in Pakistani boxers can bring Olympic medals for the country if rightly treated. Young boxers should come out of their comfort zone and work harder to achieve something, he advised.

Taimoor clinched WBC continental championship title by knocking out Thai boxer Panya Chomphoophuang, in April this year. He beat his opponent in sixth round (15-10-1 ) to secure the title and extended his overall fight record to eight wins, which now includes seven knockouts.

It is worth to mention here that Taimoor Khan retained Asian Boxing Federation Heavyweight Championship title after defeating his Thai counterpart, Aekkaphob Auraiwan, in a highly-anticipated bout in Bangkok earlier this year.