By Kemo Cham
At the Rokel Kids Boxing Academy, Susanne Boese and her team are help to groom the next generation of boxers for Sierra Leone.
The center, which is located in Rokel Village in the Western Area Rural District, operates as an after-school program. It is run as a charity, fully funded by Susanne, its founder, with the help of her friends and other people of goodwill.
The center started with a group of eight kids in October 2023. Fifteen months later, it has registered over 170 kids, between 3 and 15 years.
On average, 70 to 80 kids turn up for training daily, record at the center shows.
The gym trains six times in a week, except on Sundays, opening at 4pm daily.
A video shared by the management illustrates its humble beginning, with an almost empty space, with only one punching bag. With time, it has transformed into a professional boxing gym, thanks partly to the generous support of friends and other people of goodwill.
A small room at the corner near the entrance of the hall that serves as a store, holds several protection gears and other boxing equipment. There are now three punching bags – heavy, medium and light weight. There is also a boxing ring in the center of the carpeted hall.
In December 2024, the center held its first Open Day – an in-house boxing competition organized among the kids.
Susanne told ManoReporters that that was intend to be a demonstration of progress in the kids’ development.
“We started this boxing school one year ago. And I really wanted to show the parents the progress of their kids…,” she said.
A total of nine fights were done in the one-day event that attracted parents of the kids and onlookers from the host community and other communities nearby.
Among the young stars of the day was 10 year-old Anita Aruna, who was announced winner after a thrilling two-minute bout with her 9-year-old opponent, Hanna Komba. Anita won by 40 to 30, over two rounds of one minute each in the 27kg category.
Susanne, a German national and fitness enthusiast, who works for a beverage company in Sierra Leone, said the initiative seeks to unite the community through sports and education.
“Sport is always a very good way to get people together and to have some fun, enjoy and also get a little bit of education in terms of boxing,” she said.
Foday Conteh, a retired coach of the national boxing team of Sierra Leone, is training the kids.
While Susanne sees the initiative purely as a charity for the people of Rokel, for Foday, it is an opportunity to help revive a game he spent much of his life in as a professional.
The veteran boxer started boxing at age of 17. After two decades in the ring, he transitioned into coaching in 2002.
Foday has vowed to dedicate the rest of his retirement to rebuilding the sport in the country through these kids, in collaboration with Susanne.
“I am appealing to the people of Sierra Leone, as well as the government, to give their full support to Susanne. It’s a good initiative- taking these kids from such young age. Boxing will have been ingrained in them when they grow up.”
Lebbi M. Forbeh and Habitatu Fatmata Kamara were also among the nine champions awarded medal on Demonstration Day. They both said they looked forward to winning medals at international boxing competitions soon.
While Lebbi is inspired by Mike Tyson, Habibatu sees boxing as a hobby that makes her happy.
“I sometimes dream I am boxing. That’s why I like it. I want to be a champion and will medals for my coach and country,” the girl said.
