How boxing is thriving and keeping kids off the streets

We now have the Rumble in the Cotswolds scheduled for Chipping Norton Town Hall on June 6. The Banbury Boxing Club has invited two-time All England boxing champion Hannah Beharry to their Broad Street club in December and they will sponsor a major show in February. And the Oxford Boxing Academy in Northway presents Fight Night (dinner show) at the Kassam Stadium on Friday, December 5.

What’s the attraction?

Faz Keyani with young boxers in training. 

The 2012 London Olympics gave boxing a fillip. The introduction of boxing for women had an explosive effect. Ben Malcher, who runs the Banbury Boxing Club, says: ”Fifty per cent of the hits on our website now come from women.

“Why do people walk through the door? They want to get fit. You don’t see a fat boxer; and it’s also about self-confidence. Most, perhaps 75 per cent of the people who come here don’t want to step into the ring, even though no one gets hurt.

“Boxing is about attitude, discipline and bonding. Fighting comes way down the line.”

Declan Townsend, left, and Bradley Townsend sparring in 2011

Julia Gasper, a parish councillor for Headington Quarrry and Risinghurst disagrees. “I’ve heard from doctors, looking at boxing from a medical point of view, that the aim of the sport is to knock out your opponent. This means there is the potential for brain damage. After a KO there may not be any immediate sign, but there can be long-term damage.

“I’m not against a lot of martial arts from around the world. I’m not against combat or some sort of self-defence, but boxing is different and potentially dangerous.”

Faz Keyani runs the Oxford Boxing Academy, in Saxon Way, Oxford. He trained as a child in Iran but never boxed. When his family relocated to Oxford in 1975 he saw a sign on a lamppost saying, “Wolvercote Boys Club: 50p to watch or £100 training fee per month”.

Faz didn’t want to watch; he preferred to be a player. “Boxing brings respect from others, healthy respect because you are a tough athlete. You play team sports; you don’t play boxing.”

Faz had his first fight at the age of 12. “It makes you more dependent on yourself. Boxing mimics life. There are so many struggles and the weak can’t deal with it; so if you can box it makes you a stronger person.”

Why is there a renaissance in boxing now? According to Faz it boils down to safety, fitness and confidence. “In all licensed boxing clubs the trainers have to undergo criminal record checks every three years.

“You need first-aid training. Parents can ask for your credentials and you have to be approved by the Ministry of Culture, Media and Sport or else you could be a one-man-band with a punching bag. You have to obtain level two coaching qualifications to work with me.”

“There’s more emphasis on fitness these days.

“Boxing training doesn’t make you want to go out and fight, but it does give you the confidence you will be able to contend with anything or anyone put in front of you. And of course the psychological aspect is important. Your body will do only what your mind allows it to do. Boxing enlarges possibilities in the mind.”

The boxers at the Oxford Boxing Academy will have a chance to display their skills on December 5 at the Kassam Stadium’s Fight Night – Boxing Dinner Show, with advance booking only at oxfordboxing academy.com. So what do these boxers make of the sport?

Zarin Afzal is 14. He’s boxed for the club six times. “When you step into the ring, all eyes are on you and you’ve got to put on a show and let people know what you are good at. I used to be in trouble at school and didn’t focus, but boxing has a lot of spin-offs and now I want to get my grades.”

Owen Karau is 15 and he’s been boxing for one year. “Training pushes you to your limits. I have a lot of heart. When I wake up I’m hungry; I want to keep boxing. It’s all about motivation. You have to be humble to work hard, keep focused and don’t worry about anything else.”

Eighteen-year-old Alex Williams is a heavyweight boxer from Botley.

“It relieves stress and helps me control my anger. In my four fights the approach to the ring is scary, but that all goes. I’m so focused I can’t even hear the crowd. It’s all in the mind. You have to be mentally strong to box, and if you have the wrong mind-set you won’t progress. You need to be calm to be a boxer.”

Bradley Townsend, 19, has been boxing for nine years with 45 bouts and he’s lost 20. “It’s not good to lose, but if you learn, then it’s okay. If you push yourself to do well in boxing it affects your everyday life, so you give it 100 per cent. There are not many injuries in boxing.

“In 45 bouts I haven’t been hurt once; but if I had been a footballer I’d probably have had two broken ankles by now.”

Oscar Stevens, from Bladon, has been training at the Oxford Boxing Academy for only one year. He’s 14 and weighs 72kg. Incredibly, during that year he has had four fights, won two and lost two.

“It keeps me out of trouble, keeps me off drugs. The discipline is very enjoyable and spills over into all areas of my life. In school I concentrate more. It makes me fit.

“Boxing definitely improves your physical appearance and I feel better about myself.

“Training is something you dedicate your life to. It comes from the heart – when I step into the ring I get a thrill, I’m more alive. I get a rush and really enjoy that. It’s not so much a fight as a demonstration of skill.”