Amir Khan rings engagement bells

The boxer dishes out the big bucks on a shiny bauble for his fiancee.

British boxing sensation Amir Khan is set to get engaged to Pakistani-American student Faryal Makhdoom on January 29, The Sun reported on Monday.

According to the newspaper, Khan revealed that he had spent £100,000 on a diamond-studded ring that he will exchange with fiancee Faryal, 20, at the Bolton Wanderers’ Reebok Stadium. The 25-year-old boxer further revealed that about 1,000 guests are expected to show up at the grand £150,000 engagement party. Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Ricky Hatton, David Haye and Bolton football stars Kevin Davies and Jussi Jaaskelainen top the guest list.

The couple, who only met in July last year, may be lovestruck now but they didn’t instantly click and Makhdoom admitted their relationship was almost on the ropes as she didn’t understand a word Amir said.  “In the beginning I really couldn’t understand him, I was used to London accents and thought that’s how everyone spoke in Britain,” she said. “But when Amir opened his mouth it was completely different. It was like he was speaking in a foreign tongue.”

However, the New Yorker was able to break down the language barrier. “Everything is fine with us now — my ear is tuned in,” she added.

When speaking about Makhdoom, Khan said, “A lot of girls back home have said to me, ‘Your girl is beautiful’ — and that’s great because people can be so jealous. But Faryal is so humble. Anybody who meets her is going to fall in love with her. She’s got no edge, she’s just a terrific person.”

Meanwhile, the New Yorker said that her parents had already started treating Khan as their son and that the couple are now ready for a new life. The bride-to-be’s parents gifted the couple a BMW 750Li when they announced the engagement.

Makhdoom will fly to England on Friday for their engagement party and spend a week there. Khan, who pledged that their future would be in Bolton, promised her a few tasty local treats when she arrives.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2012.