Help keep boxing in Alberton alive
Some children out of the townships make their way to the club on foot to attend training sessions.
BOXING remains a popular sport among young and old alike.
Alberton Amateur Boxing Club, also known as the Barry Foster Amateur Boxing Club, is one of the last bastions of Boxing in Alberton and calls on the community to assist in keeping its doors in the indoor sports complex open.
“Dedication and passion can only get us so far… we really need our community to assist us with what we’re trying to do,” says Liza Long, who assists in running the club.
“The club does its utmost to get children off the streets and into the boxing ring,” Long says, with the vision of helping them build character through sport.
“Boxing instils discipline, personal strength and confidence, besides teaching you to defend yourself from criminals and bullies,” coach Koos Meintjies explains.
“We want to contribute by sharing with the less privileged members of our community, who need a group to belong to and physical and social interaction,” Long adds.
The club does very well at a competitive level and could reach even further heights if resources would permit. At a recent competition in South Hills, the club won five out of six fights; the only boxer that didn’t win his fight experienced the embarrassment of having his shoe break while in the ring.
It does also have paying members, but the small membership fee of R50 each member pays barely cover monthly electricity and rent costs.
“Just getting everyone to practices and tournaments is already difficult,” says Meintjies, who works in quality control by day. Training takes place between 18:00 and 20:00, Mondays to Thursdays.
“I own four cars just so that I can transport everyone, but when the summer comes, and attendance increases when the kids all come back, this will be very difficult to sustain.”
Some children out of the townships make their way to the club on foot to attend training sessions.
The club is in dire need of sports equipment like boxing gloves, hand wraps, headgear, gum guards, protective cups and skipping ropes because it simply cannot afford to replace the items that are still used four times a week, every week.
“It would be great if someone could assist us with a solution to our transport problems – and we’re open to suggestions,” Long says.
The club supplies oranges each week and hotdogs on the last Thursday training session of each month to help its underprivileged members.
Long hopes the community will get involved in this good work, so that it can be sustained.
“We appeal to anyone who can assist in any way to make contact with us,” she adds.
Contact Liza 072 766 3464 for more information, if you would like to join the club, or if you would like to make a donation.
