Athens: Cuban master Mario Kindelan met the future of boxing and survived the experience when he outpointed British teenager Amir Khan at the Athens Olympics on Sunday.

The lightweight title clash between the 33-year-old Kindelan and Khan, who is nearly half his age at 17, provided a fitting highlight to end two weeks of boxing at the Peristeri hall.

Khan, the revelation of the tournament with dazzling displays on his way to the final, bravely took the battle to the Cuban but the defending champion counter-punched methodically to win a 30-22 decision.

Kindelan will now retire with his reputation as the world’s best pound-for-pound amateur boxer intact. Khan is ready to take over.

“I’m only 17 and I’ve got so many years in amateur boxing ahead of me,” said Khan, immediately setting his sights on the 2008 Games in Beijing.

“Just getting to the final was brilliant. I’ve learned so much from these Olympics.”

Kindelan, a triple world champion, summed up the general feeling with warm praise for the Briton.

“He has a brilliant future ahead of him,” said the 33-year-old.

“The English boxer is a tremendous fighter and if he does not turn professional, I think he will reign over this weight category for a long time,” he said.

Former heavyweight world champion Evander Holyfield, watching ringside, added his compliments to Britain’s one-man boxing team.

“He told me it was a brilliant performance from a 17-year-old and you don’t usually see 17-year-olds as good,” said Khan, son of Pakistani-born parents, who can expect plenty of lucrative offers to turn professional.

With praise from two great champions and the cheers of an admiring crowd still ringing in his ears, the 17-year-old lightweight said he wanted another shot at winning Olympic gold.

More immediately, the college student also needed to catch up with his classwork and to start thinking about taking a driving test.

“I want to stay amateur until I’m 22,” the Bolton scrap metal dealer’s son said after losing the final.

“I want to be more mature and stronger for the next Olympics and hopefully I’ll win gold. And then I’ve got an idea to turn professional and I’ll be a lot stronger.”

“Certainly he can earn a lot of money. By the age of 21 he can have more than a million pounds in the bank,” promoter Frank Warren said last week.

Khan appeared unfussed, however. “I’m just going to stay normal, down-to-earth and keep my feet on the ground,” he said.

The two boxers embraced after the fight, with Khan patted on the back by the Cuban coach for a brave performance against a master of the ring.

Despite leading 4-3 at the end of the first round, the fight slipped away from the youngster whose points were hard-earned compared to the counter-punching Cuban’s.

Sunday was only Khan’s 14th senior level fight and coach Terry Edwards held up his man’s log book of bouts to underline just what a prospect he is. “I think he’s done exceptionally well,” he said. “It’s absolutely brilliant. I’m so proud of him.”

“It’s important for Amir to stay amateur until the next Olympics... he obviously needs more experience and to grow into that maturity.”