Khan's investment in the Community

Amir Khan's Gloves Community Centre is set to hold a knockout show to celebrate its first birthday. The Commonwealth lightweight champion opened the Prince Street gym in Halliwell in January 2007. Khan invested £700,000 in the project to help youngsters take up boxing and keep fit. And it has been a huge hit with more than 500 people coming through the doors every week. Now, to mark the first anniversary, Gloves ABC will stage its first fight night at De Vere Whites Hotel at the Reebok Stadium on Friday, February 20. Asif Vali said, "The first 12 months have been brilliant. We have more than 500 people coming into the gym each week, with kids coming from all over Bolton."We never imagined it would be so popular, but we're growing and growing all the time. It doesn't seem a year since David Cameron, the Conservative leader, came to help open the centre. "But the best thing about us is we've still got the kids we had from day one, which means we must be doing something right." "The show is a celebration of our 1st year of operation and an opportunity for our boxers to express themselves. Khan is in America at the moment preparing for his March 14 showdown with Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera. But he still trains at Gloves Gym when he is home, and takes a keen interest in what happens at the gym. Amir always wants to know when the lads are fighting, when he's back in the country he always comes down and talks to them before fights. Asif is confident that the gym can produce another Amir Khan in the future. "We've got 14 fighters carded at the gym and we're building up a good reputation," he added. "Thirteen of them will be in action on our first-ever show. We've already sold 800 of the 1,000 tickets and it should be a great night."