THE new Mayor of Winchester’s first official engagement was a bruising encounter.

Before a small crowd gathered in front of the Garrison Ground Pavilion, Bar End Road, Cllr Ernie Jeffs cut the red tape to open Winchester Amateur Boxing Club, before gamely climbing between the ropes.

“It’s ideal for the kids and young people. It’s a recreational facility that I do not think we could do without. Something like this is a great incentive to get fit too,” he said.

The club will be run by friends Filip Duda, Pawel Swat, and Sebastian Sokolowski. All three hold coaching badges from the Amateur Boxing Association.

The event was the culmination of a year’s planning and three months’ of refurbishment by the coaches and supportive friends.

The project has the backing of Winchester City Council, who are taking peppercorn rent for use of the site. The ceiling and floor of the hut both required extensive repairs, and a new ring has been installed, along with various punch bags.

Filip, the club secretary, works as a special needs teacher in Basingstoke during the day.

He said: “We all work fulltime so we were working at night and in the evenings.

“Every town in the UK has a boxing club but unfortunately in Winchester, for a time, there was nothing. A place like this, with lots of students and young people, will benefit from an opportunity to box.”

Also present was Ken Charman, an ABA Southern Counties life president, who heaped praise on the organisers.

Mr Charman said: “This club is going to flourish. There is no question about that. I’ve been in boxing for over 40 years and have been working with these guys for over a year now. I’ve never known such enthusiasm and foresight as I’ve seen from these young men.”

There was a boxing club on the site previously; run by Bernard Gruszczynski and business partner, Richard Colbourne, but it closed its doors last year.

Rachel Benammar, of Alresford Road, brought her sons Tariq, 14, and Adam, 13, down to the club.

“We used to take them to boxing in London but it was so hard to find a club here. The kids were heartbroken when the last one closed.”

Roman Barron, 32, of Four Marks, turned up on Thursday for the training session.

He said: “I came to the old club and it looks better in here now after the refurbishment. I’m coming mainly for the fitness.”

Training sessions run every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with juniors paying £3 from 5.30pm to 6.30pm, seniors from 6.30pm to 8.pm for £5. Fitness sessions are £7 and are held from 8pm to 9pm, for women and men.