BURY boxer Amir Khan's medal prospects will be put to the test when he steps into the ring in Athens in a pre-Olympic Games tournament.

Great Britain's only boxing representative at the Olympics in August, is still only a novice when it comes down to experience, but his enormous potential will be examined when he takes on boxers who he will face in his lightweight division in the summer.

The Heaton boxer has only recently moved up to the senior level and has had to step up his training.

The senior level involves longer rounds and fights against stronger opponents, but the 17-year-old says he is handling the extra workload set for him by his Bury Boxing Club coach, Mike Jelly.

He said: "I have increased my running in the morning. My uncle comes with me, trying to keep up on his bike.

"Straight after that I do pads, or on the bag in the garage. In the evenings I go to the gym three times a week, or go for another run.

"Mike is making me train much longer now and I am being asked to go on the bag for three minutes. Rounds are two minutes so it gives me extra endurance. The fights have gone up to four rounds, but I have found that easy to handle."

Amir is a comparative novice of just eight senior fights and is quickly having to adapt to a new scoring system.

"With the new computer scoring, the fights are more like a game of chess," he said. "You have to pick your shots because there's a lot of waiting for the right shot. In saying that, I like to throw a lot of punches and have a high workrate, because it takes my opponent out of the comfort zone. A lot of people are trying to slow you down, so I am trying to do my own thing, working on the bags with Mick. He is teaching me different styles."

Amir was initially told he could take a break after qualifying for the Olympics, but had to resume training after it was decided to enter him in the pre-Olympic tournament.

He had been told to have a month off after qualifying for the Olympics, but was delighted to resume training.

"I was told to have the time off after Bulgaria, but after a couple of weeks I was bored and tried to lend a hand at the gym," he said. "Then I got a call saying I was going to Athens, so I had to get back into training pretty quickly.

"There will be 36 boxers in my weight division at the Olympics and I expect to face some of them this week. I've been to two Great Britain training camps and am feeling good now."