Amir Khan: The 5-Minute Interview

'I'm giving Asian kids out there a path to follow'

The boxer Amir Khan, 19, who won a silver medal in the lightweight boxing category at the 2004 Athens Olympics, has been nominated for the Sony Entertainment Television Sports Personality of the Year Awards on Saturday.

Being nominated for the Sports Personality of the Year is ...

A great honour. It's a very big thing. It's going to open eyes - I'm giving Asian kids out there a path to follow. They've got someone to look up to. Seeing other sportsmen and women, it's a like a target for them to reach, an ambition. I used to be the same. I looked up to cricket players such as Imran Khan.

A phrase I use far too often is ...

Work like your life depends on it, but remember it doesn't.

If I wasn't talking to you right now I'd be ...

Chilling out with my friends or I might be training. We go out to the pictures.

I wish people would take more notice of ...

Supporting young people so they go into sport. Positive things like focusing on youngsters doing well in sport and hopefully it will make them do more.

The most surprising thing that ever happened to me ...

I was walking towards the boxing ring in Glasgow and next to the ring I was told I was an uncle. My sister gave birth to a girl. It was 5 November as well, Bonfire Night.

The ideal night out is ...

To go to a takeaway restaurant with friends and then to the pictures. I eat a lot of takeaways.

I'm very bad at ...

Football.

In moments of weakness ...

I'm always strong. I'm tough.