Future Champs: Sport Facilities for Youth

Future Champs is a sporting initiative aiming to inspire young people to lead positive and constructive lives, empower under-resourced coaches and sports men and women, and uncover talent and give guidance. It has led to the construction of a boxing gym in Philippi, benefitting young men and women who wish to pursue the sport as well as under-resourced coaches. Focus is placed on the ability of the sport to create discipline, helping those involved to take control of their lives and focus on the future. More coaches have joined the gym and are training children from the area. Amateur boxing clubs from Cape Town were invited to participatre in a Youth Day boxing event on 16 June 2014. The tournament saw the use of newly installed equipment (including extra bags, speed balls, a new scale, timers, and a gong). Plans are underway to make this a monthly event. The event was covered by the local media and on the Fight for Peace website. A satelite gym has opened at the Victor Verster prison for youth offenders, making the total number of satellite gyms under the Future Champs programme eight. Plans are underway to expand the project through the Ugandan SDI Affiliate to Kisenyi slum in Kampala. Similar activity is planned for Ghana. The project currently focuses on boxing and the martial arts, but aims to expand to other sports.