Former boxer tells how sport can transform lives of young

A FORMER professional boxer has spoken of how the sport can transform the lives of young people - as the community reels after the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old boy.

Jason Callum, a trainer at Bell Green Amateur Boxing Club, said Babacar Diagne, who was stabbed to death last week, had been in to the club a few times and described him as ‘a nice lad.’

The youngster, known as Babz, was stabbed in Wood End, just minutes from where the club is based.

Friends of Babz have started a fundraiser to cover the costs of his funeral.

Jason said the boxing club, which he and another trainer, Richard Todd, run on a volunteer basis four evenings a week, helps to get kids off the street and instils a sense of confidence and discipline.

Growing up in a rough area himself, he spoke of how boxing led him to raise his aspirations, and he even competed professionally for a while.

He also described his hopes for the future of the club, and how to develop it to reach even more young people.

Youngsters can go along to the club four nights a week, from Mondays to Thursdays from 6pm to 8pm.

It’s not just boxing, they can also take part in circuit training and Jason said it’s also somewhere they can go to talk.

Around two weekends a month, Richard and Jason take those who want to compete to matches around the UK.

“It gets them off the streets, and gives them confidence and discipline in all aspects of their lives,” Jason said.

“It’s a hard sport. Not all of them want to compete, and that’s fine. It’s just about getting them to achieve something, which can help them raise their aspirations.”

For those who do compete, learning to lose is just as important as winning.

“When they win a match, there’s a real buzz which you see on their faces, and that’s really rewarding to see,” said Jason.

“But losing is important as well. That’s when we teach them don’t give up. Learn from it, learn what your mistakes were and try again.”

Jason, who works in construction, said he sometimes walks around Bell Green to talk to young people hanging around on the streets.

“I do feel sorry for youths today,” he said. “Education is so important - we need to get through to them that knife crime incidents ruin so many lives. Obviously the person who is injured or killed, but also the person who used the knife.

“There was an incident a few years ago where three lads got jailed for 80 years between them. There’s no coming back from that. There’s no chance at a normal life.”

Growing up in a rough area can be difficult - and it’s something Jason has experience of himself.

“I grew up in Hillfields in the 1980s,” he said. “I lived on a council estate that was a bit rough in them days, there was a lot of drugs and prostitution.

“I was hanging around the streets a lot and my mum said I should do something. I ended up joining Coventry Boys Boxing Club where Dennis Young was the trainer. I worked up to being one of the best in England and turned professional, where I did ok.”

After retiring from competing professionally, Jason started working in construction - but he missed boxing, and joined the club as a volunteer coach to give something back.

“I think growing up in that kind of environment made me a stronger person,” he added.

“It made me want to do well for myself. The main thing is just staying off the streets and having something productive to do.”

So what does the future hold for Bell Green ABC?

“We’d like to get more funding so we can offer more activities, get more equipment,” Jason said.

“We’ve got around 15 juniors at the moment and 15 seniors. It’s great when you see someone come in for the first time, and after a couple of months they have a better attitude, more confidence in themselves.

“It’s really rewarding.”