ROME (ITALPRESS) – Fostering participation in sports, integration and social inclusion through the values of boxing, involving educational institutions, the most disadvantaged and peripheral realities, considered at risk, and penitentiary institutions. This is the goal of “Boxing for Change – With boxing you learn,” a project promoted by the Italian Boxing Federation and partners Scholas Occurrentes and the Romanian Boxing Federation, in collaboration with associate partner Sport Senza Frontiere and the Spanish Boxing Federation, and which has been selected by the European Commission under the Erasmus Call for Projects “Cooperation Partnership – Sport.” The president of the FPI, Flavio D’Ambrosi, who spoke with a video message at the presentation conference, explained how the project “includes and implements the training of our young people, with Italy, Spain and Romania working in synergy to give training within educational institutions and prisons, directed to include and grow young people.” The federation’s secretary-general, Alberto Tappa, added that “the absolute value of the project is related to integration and all violence prevention policies,” representing “a message of peace.” There will be 2,000 children (1750 students and 250 young prisoners), aged between 13 and 16, participating in the project, which began with specific training for sports coaches and teachers. In detail, between the three countries, 80 technicians and 40 teachers will be involved, for a project that involves 35 schools and 5 juvenile penitentiary institutions.The conference was also attended by the other protagonists of the project, starting with Daniel Ion, secretary general of the Romanian federation, who said, “Maybe hundreds of champions will not come out of this initiative, but if the result is to have models for the future, then it will be a full success.” “It is an incredible project that conveys important values by uniting three countries, we could not miss it,” added Felipe Martinez, president of the Spanish federation. Finally, Jose Maria Del Corral, president of Scholas Occurrentes, recalled how the association was founded by Pope Francis, who “was convinced that change had to come through education, and that everything had to start from the bottom,” then thanking the federations “who accompany us and make this possible,” using this occasion as a manifesto for peace. The project, which will close at Joy Summer Camp 2025, presented by SSF President Alessandro Tappa, will also see the involvement of a number of Ambassadors/Campions from the countries involved, namely Michael Magnesi, Emanuele Blandamura, Pamela Malvina Noutcho Sawa, Emmanuel Reyes, Ayoub Ghadfa and Robert Euseblu Jitaru.- photo Fpi press office -(ITALPRESS).
