Pupils from Batley Maddrassah get tips and advice from boxing sensation Ammar Akbar during visit to Dewsbury gym

The training session was arranged by the mosque as a treat for the children during a school holiday visit last week to the Warrior Breed Gym, based on Bradford Road.

​The visiting children first heard a motivating talk on the disciplines involved in boxing, before going near the punch bags.

The talk was given by Ammar's father, Zahir Akbar, who manages the gym.

​The Maddrassah kids then practised a series of training routines, along with some useful boxing moves shown to them by professional boxer Ammar, who himself uses the venue to prepare for his own fights.

​Besides hosting Maddrassah visits, the Dewsbury-based boxing gym works with vulnerable youngsters who are at risk of getting involved in anti-social behaviour.

The gym also supports children struggling with behaviour issues at local high schools.

​Anyone thinking of getting some exercise is always welcome to use the gym's facilities.

Zahir said: "There is often a mistaken perception that boxing is all about showing toughness. Yet an important element for a boxer is to show discipline and self-control both inside the ring as well as outside.

"This is exactly what the Maddrassah pupils learned through my talk when they visited our gym.

​"Besides the discipline, the training routines in boxing are the best form of fitness exercise.

"The workouts done inside boxing gyms like ours are good for a person physical stamina as well as for their mental health."

​As someone who himself grew up in a close knit Dewsbury family, Zahir only too well understands the importance of stability in children's lives.

He said: ​"My parents were from the wartime generation. That generation was obviously very disciplined, holding onto some strong cultural values.

"These values were instilled in me at an early age.

"My father was a soldier who had served in the British-Indian Army during the Second World War. Duty and respect for the rule of law was everything to my father.

"He was my mentor and I learned a lot about the value of education and respect from him.

​"I was lucky to come from a loving family household. Yet experience in our gym has shown us children who are the most vulnerable usually seem to be those who come from broken families.

"The whole ethos at Warrior Breed Gym is to nurture their hidden talent and to motivate these youngsters to do something good in their lives."

​"Let's not forget even legendary boxer Mohammad Ali was encouraged to join a boxing gym when he was a just a kid - after his bicycle had been stolen.

"Losing the bike really upset him, yet the gym gave him a sense of purpose and something more positive to look forward towards.

"He was able to build a whole new life through that gym. The rest was history!

​"Young vulnerable lads who were not doing well in their studies at school have in the past turned up at the gym to use our facilities.

"These same young men have now developed a sense of purpose and turned their whole lives around.

"Some have gained the confidence to retake their GCSEs, others have gone on to study in further education, while a number even gained the confidence to open up their own businesses.

​"Our work here at the Warrior Breed Gym has been so effective we are now getting pupil referrals from local high schools.

​"Our passion is to see our youngsters thrive.

​"So, we clearly value our partnerships with organisations like the Mohammadiya Ghausia Jamia Mosque.

"There is some amazing work being done on the theme of cohesion and positive citizenship by this place of worship which fits in with our own ethos here at Warrior Breed Gym around improving young people's quality of life opportunities.

"We want to build more partnerships and to work with any local football clubs, local schools and with our local Mosques, with one sole aim, which is to help our local youth."