By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com was advised by Shah Khan, father of WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan, that his son is expected to leave for New York City on Sunday. He makes his American debut with a title defense against former champion Paulie Malignaggi on May 15 at Madison Square Garden.
There has been a slight delay with Khan's work visa being approved. As a result, Khan and trainer Freddie Roach were forced to move the training camp to Vancouver, Canada. Shah expects everything to be sorted out in the next couple of days.
"Everything should be cleared up in a couple of days. Amir will be in LA in a few days and he will leave for New York on Sunday," Shah told BoxingScene.com. "Amir's training camp has continued. Freddie is there [in Vancouver], the sparring partners are there."
Shah disputes published reports that claim Amir's work visa is in jeopardy because of some past motor vehicle offenses. He tells BoxingScene that because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, his son goes through a longer than expected process to obtain a work visa. According to Shah, Amir's name is usually flagged and he goes through a routine process to enter the United States. Amir has gone through this process during past visits to train with Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
"Because of the name Khan. It's unfortunate. They just ask him some questions. They ask him why he's traveling to different countries. In a couple of days, everything will be cleared up," Shah said.
