Amir Khan has rejected an offer to buy the gold medal he lost to a Cuban boxer in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, who has fallen on hard times.

The retired Bolton boxer is currently in Bahrain and while there he ran into former Cuban amateur boxer, Mario Kindelan, who he fought at the Olympics and lost to.

The duo spent some time talking and Mario told Amir about his plight, offering the now retired boxer the gold medal from the Olympic match, but Amir refused to buy it and said he would instead give him the money so Mario could build a house for his family.

Amir said: “It is sad to see a three-time world amateur champion, one of the best ones to come out of Cuba and two time Olympic gold medallist, like this.

“It hurt me when he was telling me the story that he had no money.

“So, I gave him some money and thought he was joking at first and then he said ‘I really want to sell you my gold medal and that way I can build my mother’s house because I want to build her a house.’"

But Amir said he did not want to take the medal off Mario.

Amir said: “I asked him how much the house would be and he said it was going to be $5,000 and I said no problem, I’ll give you the money but you have to promise me you will never ever sell the medal.

“(I said) You won the gold medal yourself, and he did tell me he sold a lot of other stuff but was waiting to see me because he said he wanted me to have it.”

Mario told Amir he had sold all of his other medals off but had wanted to wait to see him before selling the Olympic medal.

Amir said: “We had a great fight, and my last amateur fight was his last amateur fight.

“He wanted to give it to me, but I said no, I will not take it from you because you earned that and it was so sad to hear that from him that financially he has got nothing.

“A lot of young fighters are very lucky they make money winning gold medals and get funding from their country, but a fighter like him one of the best I faced, could not do that and is now in a position where he is selling his medals and kit.

“I am very happy that he met me and told me that story and I sent him the money, so hopefully he can build the house for his mother now.”