To identify young children who are talented and interested in boxing, the Kerala government has launched a “Punch” programme to promote boxing and make it one of the mainstream sporting events in the state.
As per the details with the government, the “Punch” will be a free intensive boxing training programme to identify boxing talent among children. It aims to nurture these talents to reach international standards and in the process increase visibility for boxing in the mainstream sporting arena of the state. “The programme has been launched in five schools in the state on a trial basis before expanding to other schools in the state,” said the officials concerned.
In the first phase, training has started in five schools in Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur districts. An official statement released by the government said 25 students will be trained in each centre. Both boys and girls aged between eight and 16 can participate in the training programme which will be held on five days in a week for 90 minutes each. The government has appointed two nationally qualified trainers at each training centre.
The students will get coaching equipment free of cost that include a sports kit worth Rs 15,000. Monitoring committees will be formed at school, district and state level for the effective implementation and evaluation of the project. A centralised software has been installed to analyse the children’s progress and attendance. Further training will be provided to those who complete the training successfully and display real boxing talent. Sports Kerala Foundation under the Department of Sports is implementing the project.
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