A highly regarded amateur boxing club in Coventry has been dealt a knockout blow after it was told it must vacate its home of more than 40 years by the end of the month.
Triumph Amateur Boxing Club has been based out of the Standard Triumph Recreational Club, off Tile Hill Lane, since the 1980s. But amid reports the wider club is closing, the boxing club has been told it is being thrown out.
Head coach Dinesh Darbar, 67, has been with the club man and boy, having originally gone along as a young boxer in the 1970s. He says he is concerned the news spells the end of one of the city’s best known boxing institutions.
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“We’ve been told to be out by the end of June and that’s it, no negotiation,” Dinesh told Coventry Live. “If we don’t find premises or we don’t find somewhere, then it’s going to come to an end really.”
“At the moment it’s a 50-50 chance that we might stop altogether, and that’ll be it. That’ll be the end of Triumph ABC as we know it.”
Should the club be forced to fold, it will be the end of one of the city’s celebrated boxing gyms. Historically the club is linked with well known names in the sport, including Errol and Michael Christie. Former national champion turned playwright Jamie McGough also boxed out of Triumph.
More recently Aaron Bowen was part of the club as a teen and current pro contender Jamie Edwards, who fights for the Midlands Area Lightweight Title this weekend, also flies the Triumph flag.
Jamie McGough
But Dinesh says the club is about so much more than just producing high calibre fighters.
“For us it’s not about turning out national champions,” Dinesh explained. “It’s more about being a community place where young people can come and excel at a sport they really enjoy.
“Success stories don’t have to be medals around your neck. Success stories are people coming in and becoming confident in life. A lot of them grow in self-esteem, become mentally stronger and go on to be very good citizens.
“I get parents coming to me saying, ‘I can’t put any discipline into my son, can you help us?’ or ‘My son’s being bullied, can you help us?'”
As to what happens next, Dinesh is unsure.
He said: “We’re hoping that somebody might see our situation and think, ‘We’ve got some spare space they could use.’ If not, there’s a real chance it could be the end of Triumph as we know it.
“That space has been here for generations and a lot of people know us. It would be a real shame to lose it.”
CoventryLive has attempted to contact Standard Triumph Recreational Club on the phone and via email, but have not heard back.
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