Boxer Amir Khan has said that he was scammed, after a YouTube video claimed he lost two crore and 25 lakh rupees in a failed shisha cafe project in Islamabad.
Khan referred to a man named Tanoli in a post on X and accused him of taking money unlawfully. However, the boxer has not confirmed the details of the transaction including the amount, the cafe plan and the police call.
Reacting to the video on X, he wrote, “There is NO connection between us and Zuma Islamabad, and Tanoli is a scam artist who has taken money unlawfully. This reflects poorly on Pakistan and on potential investors in the country.” He added, “Our love for the nation is strong, but the government needs to provide security for foreign investors.”
In an earlier post, he wrote, “One of the main reason why oversea investors don’t invest in Pakistan,” tagging the Pakistan military’s media wing, DGISPR, and the Government of Pakistan.
The video claims a man named Khaliq Tanoli worked as a manager at a shisha cafe about 10 years ago and later opened eight to 10 shisha cafes in several cities. It says he cheated several people by promising to make them partners.
According to the video, Tanoli told Khan there was strong demand for an international-level shisha cafe in Islamabad and took two crore, 25 lakh rupees from him. The video says Tanoli never built the cafe and blamed a ban. It claims he then refused to return the money and used legal tactics instead.
The video also claims that when Khan pressed for his money, Tanoli had someone call the 15 police helpline and say he had been kidnapped. It says the facts later reached the Inspector General of Police. The video’s presenter said Tanoli can give a statement about his side if he wants to.
Amir Khan is a British boxer of Pakistani descent from Bolton. He won a silver medal in the lightweight division at the 2004 Athens Olympics at age 17.
He won the WBA light-welterweight title in 2009 by beating Andriy Kotelnik, and added the IBF title in 2011 by beating Zab Judah. He lost to Lamont Peterson later in 2011, and the WBA reinstated him as champion after Peterson tested positive for a banned substance.
Khan also challenged for world titles at welterweight and middleweight. He lost to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in 2016 and to Terence Crawford in 2019.
He retired in May 2022, three months after Kell Brook stopped him in the sixth round in Manchester. He finished with 34 wins and six defeats from 40 fights.
