AMIR Khan wants to challenge the winner of the ABA light-welterweight championship.

The 17-year-old, who was sensationally pulled out of the competition last week over a ticket allocation row, says he would love to fight the 2005 winner.

He said: "It is disappointing that I am not in the competition as I wanted the national title. It is a pity that the circumstances forced me out.

"But I know that I can beat anyone at the 64 kilo weight and I will challenge the winner to prove it."

Speculation grows on a daily basis that the Bolton teenager is set to turn professional and that the ticket row was just an excuse to protect him from a possible defeat that would affect his earning potential.

His father Shah strongly refutes that idea and continues to put the blame on the organisers of the event in Great Yarmouth.

"The lad Amir was supposed to have boxed, damaged his hand 10 days before the quarter-final and so in any event there would not have been a fight." he said. "Surely somebody must have known this, but they kept it quiet.

"We asked for an increased allocation of tickets a week before the event and it was only after we pulled out that the ticket allocation was increased. We had already made our decision by then and it was not fair to ask us to change our minds. We asked for the extra tickets because the last thing we wanted was trouble and we knew there would be at least 300 fans making the trip.

"Three years ago Amir was fighting at a schoolboy championship and the venue could not cater for the size of the crowd and it had to be abandoned because of safety fears. We did not want a repeat of that.

"Amir is disappointed he is not in the competition but the organisers have not been fair to him. I have no idea what will happen next, the ball is in the ABA's court."

Khan expects his next fight will be a rematch of the Olympic final, on April 8, at Liverpool, when gold medallist Mario Kindlean is expected to come over with the Cuba team. Khan's farwell to the amateur ranks could be at the Reebok, on April 16, when the proceeds will go to his Bury Boxing Club.

Khan added: "I will train hard and watch videos and prepare myself for the Kindelan fight. I hope we can arrange a top class opponent for the Reebok so that I can put on a good show for my first fight in Bolton."