'We want to promote unity through boxing'
Boxing coaches in Rotherham say they are striving to unite young people from all backgrounds through sport, especially in the wake of the summer 2024 riots.
Unity Boxing in Rawmarsh, which is marking its fourth anniversary, was set up by coaches who trained under celebrated coach Brendan Ingle in Sheffield.
The non-profit club prides itself on being inclusive to all and since the Manvers riots, leaders have been determined to offer both a peaceful sanctuary and an "escape".
Coach Atif Shafiq says: "Unity is our message. We have local kids from all different walks, from Travellers to people from African heritage to Pakistanis, to English, and everyone's the same, no one's treated differently."
Mr Shafiq established the club after being inspired by his former mentor.
"I spent 10 years of my life with Brendan until the day he passed away," he says.
"Being around that gym at those times, seeing all the different champions from different walks of life coming together in that one place and the way Brendan would treat them…
"I wanted to build something close to it."
More than 100 people – mostly men from Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham, were convicted following the riots outside the Holiday Inn hotel in Manvers that took place in August 2024.
More than a dozen youths, aged between 13 and 17, received referral orders.
Unity coach Mateen Razak, who has been with the gym since it opened, says: "For me personally as a Muslim man in Rotherham, I still get looks out and about.
"A guy very recently asked me why I didn't go back to my own country.
"I told him I was born here and he told me it was still not my country."
Mr Razak and the other coaches decided rather than shying away from discussing the riots they would use it as an opportunity to engage with their young members.
"When it was all going off we brought the kids in and said to them, look we know what's going on outside, we've all seen the TikToks.
"If there's anybody in this gym that wants to talk to us or ask us anything about faith or religion, we're here, we'll answer it for you."
Reflecting on the riots, coach Shahid Shad says: "Do I agree with the boats coming over?
"Well it's an issue but it's nothing to the point of where we should be slinging each other down and burning hotels because in a nutshell you've made your area bad, you've made your council spend money that they shouldn't be spending to repair a building."
Kaya Odemis, 14, trains at the gym four times a week after school.
He says: "Look at all the flags in the gym.
"We've got people from Congo, from Yemen, Somalia, England, Kurdistan, Kashmir, Scotland and Turkey, which is where I'm from.
"We're all under the same banner aren't we?
"I know loads of guys who were pretty wild at school but this place changes them, it's an escape.
"It's the discipline of boxing they respect."
On the riots, he says: "I understood why they were angry but what I think I didn't understand is like the way they dealt with it.
"For those in the hotel, I feel bad for them to be fair. I felt bad for what they had to go through. I hope they're safe."
Harley Saeed, 19, describes his heritage as Yemeni.
He admits misbehaviour in the classroom meant he was moved around to many different schools.
"I've always liked fighting as a kid and I love it here," he says.
"Anyone new who comes in old or young, white, black or brown, I'll grab them a skipping rope and make them feel comfortable."
Unity offers sessions for teenagers and adults as well as younger children with sessions for six to 11-year-olds.
As well as providing a sense of purpose and unity for young boxers, the gym has also had success.
Among its ranks is Sonnyboy Hughes from Barnsley who has been training at the club for more than a year.
He became England Boxing National Development champion last year for the second time and is hoping to break into the Great Britain squad next year.
The 20-year-old lightweight says: "These are good people. It's always been welcoming.
"There's a load of nonsense outside the gym but in here we're all together.
"When we come in, we all shake hands. We all respect each other."
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