ON THE MIC: Joshua Buatsi addresses the young people Photos: Lawrence Lustig
But before he steps into the ring on Coronation Day to take on undefeated Polish fighter Pawel Stepien, the former Team GB Olympian pulled no punches in a special visit to meet teenage students from the most under-funded school in Britain.Buatsi led a star-studded BOXXER panel alongside founder and CEO Ben Shalom, English middleweight champion Tyler Denny and British female championship challenger Kirstie Bavington at King Edwards VI Balaam Wood Academy.
Respect, teamwork, dedication, and work ethic were then put into practice with a fun and engaging PE session for the group of secondary school pupils, led by former WBA world lightweight champion Anthony Crolla – all as part of BOXXER’s commitment to drive grassroots participation in the sport as part of providing accessibility and inclusivity to remove any possible amateur entry barriers to boxing.
“My amateur coaches put in hours and hours of coaching with me and they did it all for free purely through their love of the sport. We need people like that. Shalom is the youngest promoter in the UK and told the children that they are the masters of their own destiny. “For me boxing teaches these lessons better than any other sport and that’s why it’s so important to create opportunities for young people to access it, because it teaches those values.