Amateur boxing in Yeoville is in a state of neglect.
These are the sentiments of a group of about 25 boxers who train at Yeoville.
The boxers, who are mostly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have made Yeoville their home away from home.
Speaking to the EXPRESS from the Yeoville Tennis Club, the boxers said they use the tennis club’s facilities to conduct their training.
“We used to use the recreation centre to train outside, but the winter mornings became colder and we asked the manager if we could use the inside of the club,” said Mr Francis Lokake, a boxer at the gym. Their training schedule has to accommodate the boxers, as some of them have jobs to get to in the mornings and in the evenings.
The boxers find it difficult to stage fights with other gyms due to a lack of equipment and title sponsorship. The last fight event was in December, where Owen Chineda emerged victorious from a match held at the Orlando Recreation Centre.
“There is a lot of potential in this gym, we just need the tools to run it professionally,” said Mr Lokake. The boxers invite all those who are interested in boxing, and who have a passion for the sport, to come try out at the gym. Their doors are open to the public every morning from 8.30am to 9.30am and in the evenings from 4.30pm until 7.30pm.
“We welcome anybody with a keen interest in boxing to join us as we want to produce a professional in the future,” concluded Mr Lokake.
