Amir Khan's former manager Asif Vali jailed for 11 years

Amir Khan's former manager Asif Vali receives lengthy prison sentence

Ex-boxing manager Asif Vali has received an 11-year prison sentence following convictions for exposure and sexual assault offences, as reported by Manchester Evening News.

The former manager of boxer Amir Khan has been locked up for sex crimes as part of a ‘significant fall from grace’ for the businessman.

Asif Vali once enjoyed a successful life, running businesses and travelling the world during his work with the Bolton boxer. But that lifestyle has come crashing down since beginning an 11-year prison sentence for sexually abusing a woman.

The abuse began with him making inappropriate comments towards her, which ‘got worse as time went on’. He began to perform sex acts on himself in front of her, and was also convicted of an offence of assault by penetration committed against her.

Bolton Crown Court heard that the victim did not immediately report Asif Vali to police because she was ‘afraid’ of him due to the ‘significant position of importance he held in the town of Bolton’, prosecutors explained.

“By the time you were 46 years old, you had the trappings of a successful life,” Judge Nicholas Clarke KC told Vali. “You had been involved with Amir Khan in events around the world from which you derived some standing in the local community.” But the judge said Vali’s desire to ‘fulfil your own sexual gratification took over’.

“This was the most disgusting behaviour.” The judge noted that Vali has always denied wrongdoing, adding, “You have shown no remorse or contrition, and no empathy at all for her predicament."

The court heard that 56-year-old Vali persistently sent the woman 'inappropriate' text messages, including one about the size of her knickers, and performed sex acts on himself in front of her.

During Vali's trial, which concluded with a guilty verdict in December 2025, prosecutor Huw Edwards said the case was 'about allegations made by her against Mr Vali of a sexual nature'. The prosecutor said that in the summer of 2012, Vali began 'showing a sexual interest' in his victim and started sending her 'inappropriate' text messages.

On one occasion, when Vali was in America, he sent her a text message asking her what size of knickers she would like him to buy and bring back for her. Mr Edwards said she told him she didn't want any.

'Sexual behaviour' on Vali's part towards her continued and 'got worse as time went on', Mr Edwards told the court. The prosecutor said Vali 'started getting too close to her and touching her in ways she says were inappropriate'. "He continued progressing that sexual behaviour," Mr Edwards informed the room.

The prosecutor said the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told Vali that he was being 'inappropriate', and grew to become 'frightened by him'.

Mr Edwards told the sentencing hearing: “She was afraid of Mr Vali because of the significant position of importance he held in Bolton. Not least because he was the manager of Amir Khan, the famous boxer.”

He continued to add that Asif Vali actually performed sexual acts on himself in front of her.

Vali was convicted of an allegation of assault by penetration in 2013 in Bolton. Mr Edwards said Vali 'said something to her about giving him what he deserved' when she was alone.

He then grabbed her leg and pulled him towards her as she sat on a chair, causing her to fall to the floor. Vali was on top of her, but she tried to fight him off. He then pulled down her trousers and underwear.

Mr Edwards said the woman managed to knock over a cup of coffee, which caused him to jump up after it spilled onto them both. She then left the room.

She did not report her allegations until 2019 but told her GP and family members. She was video-interviewed by police in December 2019, and in her interview with officers, named Asif Vali as boxer Mr Khan's former manager.

In a statement read in court, the victim said: “To cut a long story short, Asif Vali ruined my life and my potential for a long time, and he is still doing so,” admitting to have experienced feelings of ‘shame’.

“I felt that I was to blame and that I would be judged by others,” she said. “I believed it was my fault because I’m not good enough and that I am worthless, and deserve to be treated this way.

“I continued to punish myself for something I now realise wasn’t my fault. I’m slowly beginning to learn that what happened to me was because of Asif Vali’s behaviour, not mine.”

Asif Vali has a total of eight offences on his record, none of which Mr Edwards said were of ‘similar gravity’, and all were of a ‘considerable age’. Defending attorney Tom Worsfold said that Vali ‘respects the jury’s decision’, and that Vali was ‘saddened’ to hear of the victim’s struggles.

Mr Worsford also said Vali had displayed ‘positive good character’ in his life, involving his work in boxing and coaching women’s football. “He has demonstrated, to those who know him, admirable qualities from his position in those circumstances, quite in contrast to the offences for which he has been convicted.”

A troubled Vali was able to ‘turn his life around’ in his younger years after gaining the support of a youth worker, Mr Worsfold said. Vali met Amir Khan in 2001, before the 2004 Olympics where Khan won a silver medal and rose to fame aged 17.

Mr Worsfold said Asif Vali had been involved in charity work around the world, including setting up an organisation in memory of his late son, which helped bereaved families pay for children’s funerals. He described Vali’s predicament as a ‘significant fall from grace from a man with a strong moral compass'.