 | Khan met the soldiers at his new gym in Bolton 
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Boxing champion Amir Khan played host to a group of soldiers from the North West on their return from a tour of duty in Iraq. Troops from the 1st Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment watched the fighter sparring at his newly-opened Gloves Gym in Bolton. Khan took time out from his training schedule for his next fight on 21 June to meet the soldiers. Some members recently returned from the Basra province of Iraq. Sparring session The soldiers, from the battalion's Burma Company, played a part in helping to hand over responsibility for security in the region to the Iraqi authorities. They flew back to the regiment's headquarters in Germany a few weeks ago ahead of the main body of soldiers who are due to leave Iraq at the end of May. The soldiers watched Khan training before one of them, Kingsman Scott Craven, joined him for a light sparring session. Khan, the Commonwealth and WBO Intercontinental lightweight champion, is preparing for a fight in Birmingham on 21 June. The 21-year-old opened the Gloves Gym and community centre in his hometown in January to provide young people with access to boxing.
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