Following a press communiqué shared by Decathlon Mauritius about the sponsorship of fifty young boxers, Decathlon remained true to its commitment to make sport accessible to all. Decathlon Mauritius signed a sponsorship agreement on Thursday, December 2, 2021 with the NGO iMove. The initiative benefits those fifty young boxers who have received the necessary equipment to practice their discipline. Coached by former Olympic medallist, Bruno Julie, they will also be able to train on the playground of the sports equipment manufacturer in Bagatelle. By making this move, Decathlon reaffirms its position to make sports practice accessible to as many people as possible.
Due to the health situation, the signing of the agreement and the delivery of the equipment took place in select committee in the premises of Decathlon Mauritius, in Bagatelle.
On that occasion, Yannick Doger de Spéville the Trade & Development Leader at Decathlon explains:
“At Decathlon, we aspire to be the partner of choice for athletes to support them in the practice of their disciplines in Mauritius. It is only natural that we join the initiative of the iMove association to support these young people who train three times a week without adequate infrastructures. They demonstrate a discipline and a willingness to persevere in this sport to become aspiring champions and represent the country – an ambition that is quite achievable, especially since they are coached by the talented Bruno Julie, who is an example to follow for these young people. »
iMove is a non-profit NGO created in 2014 to facilitate and encourage the empowerment of communities in precarious situations. It has initiated several programs for the benefit of more than 600 people living mainly in the districts of Plaines-Wilhems, Pamplemousses and Rivière-du-Rempart. Since July 2021, it has taken about fifty young boxers under its wing in order to encourage themto practice sports.
The president of the NGO, Gérard Lam, turned to Decathlon Mauritius to compensate for the lack of professional equipment and space to train properly. The equipment manufacturer and sports equipment supplier has agreed to accompany iMove in this project by giving gloves, mouthguards, helmets, mittens and bandages. Young pugilists will also have free access to the playground of the Bagatelle store, with an area of 300 m², to practice their discipline once a week for a year, as soon as the health situation in the country allows.
The president of iMove says that he is happy to be able to collaborate with Decathlon Mauritius to help these young people from vulnerable backgrounds to professionalize in their discipline. He shares with us:
“We welcome Decathlon Mauritius’s interest in supporting our young talents. This partnership with Decathlon Mauritius will bring immediate changes for them. Though being in a difficult situation, they are highly motivated and have a promising future. The practice of boxing will allow them to flourish and acquire other assets that will serve them in everyday life. »
The same goes for Bruno Julie, a former high-level boxer and the only Mauritian Olympic medallist to date. He now plays the role of coach with these young people to pass on his knowledge and passion for boxing. His goal is to encourage them to persevere in this sport, which promotes personal development and discipline.
He tells us:
“Boxing is a really complete sport, working both physically and mentally. I want to share my experience with as many young people as possible and encourage them to follow this path. Many of these troubled young people from the Stanley and Clover area have the ability to turn professional in the discipline. They just need to have the right coaching and the right one’s equipment to get there. »
As a reminder, Decathlon Mauritius offers equipment to practice more than 60 different sports and leisure activities. The brand also provides its customers with a space to learn about certain disciplines and test the products they wish to buy.
