Veteran boxer, weightlifter concerned of children’s future

Alex’s sports veterans will not tire from saving the township’s kids and youth from anti-social conduct and destructive influence.

With unemployment hovering high, crime a daily in-your-face occurrence and diminishing role models, two veterans of boxing and bodybuilding vowed to continue saving the few and hopefully, many of the children they said are ‘going nowhere but early graves’. This in a township with weekly losses of lives through crime, imprisonment and wastage from drugs and substance abuse which impact their mental health and induce physical disabilities. Poverty and absence of coping mechanisms lead them into despair, risky and unhealthy livelihoods.

From Ikasi Gym on 7th Avenue, veteran boxer and trainer Levy Maema (67) said Alex was no longer the leading home of sports – boxing, karate, judo and other codes which have vanished including athletics at schools except for occasional netball and football and a few teams playing at organised level. “We no more have visionary champions as platforms for children to emulate and desire success and exit from poverty through sports no longer exist,” Maema said attributing the problem to lack of united leadership in the township.

In nostalgic reference to the positive role which yesteryear sports personalities want to play, he said many will remain disconnected from the township due to leadership that shuns them and want to be praised alone for reviving the township. “Hard work is required from all to save our children and revert Alex to its past glory requires and in particular, from veterans with roots, knowledge and commitment to resuscitate Ubuntu by nurturing the children to be better and positive-oriented people.”

He said the children didn’t know the past legends who could assist them. “Without advice, they instead risk their lives by blocking roads to play informal games because they can’t access the few sports facilities which are costly for them.

“Churches have taken over the facilities than sporting events as they can pay,” he said lamenting the exposure of children to smoking, alcohol abuse and violence while playing on the streets.

Veteran weightlifter Ernest Banda (68) decried the dearth of sports in the township as cause of most strokes, high blood pressure and diabetics including in children. “They should naturally be healthy from physical activity which is compromised by poor diet that excludes fruits, vegetables and eggs which are substituted by fatty and greasy foods.

“Those who engage in structured exercises are soon discouraged by lack of sponsors to urge them on through rewards and participation in competitions.”

The veterans also complained about many music festivals they said impoverished the poor further through entry fees and compromised their health through alcohol and drug abuse and others became victims of trafficking and sexual abuse during and after the events.

They commended the few gyms operating in the township for not turning their space into taverns which also mushroom next to schools. They thanked clinics for encouraging patients with chronic ailments to exercise to save their lives.

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