Colchester teen boxer shows bullies what she's made of

Davinder Johal is understandably proud of his 13-year-old daughter, Gursimar, who for years was tormented by bullies for being the only student of Indian origin in her school.

Coping with bullying at any age is stressful and exhausting, but as a school pupil it is harder still given school is supposed to be a place for children to learn, grow and make friends.

The Johal family moved to Colchester from London five years ago when Gursimar was an eight-year-old, but after she struggled to fit in at school, her father felt compelled to do something – anything – to help his daughter.

And so it came she took up boxing on the advice of her dad. Now, at a new school and with a new-found confidence, Gursimar hasn’t looked back.

“She would get punched, kicked, called offensive names, her hair was set on fire, but she never said anything to us," her father recalled.

Roll with the punches – boxing has helped Gursimar fend off bullies at her school

“She was chased out of the school gates one day and nearly got hit by a bus.

“When I found out about that, I knew she needed some self-defence.”

Experiencing bullying at a young age can scar someone for life and not all children manage to regain their confidence, even with the most supportive parents.

But since Gursimar took up boxing and started training at BKK Fighters in the Hythe, Colchester, she has found a new social group she can bond and grow with.

On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, Gursimar will pull on a pair of boxing gloves, and all the anxiety pent up inside will evaporate with every hook and jab.

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Charlie Kinde, who has been involved with BKK fighters for seven years and is currently a children’s boxing coach, says Gursimar is one to watch.

“When she came down six months ago, she already knew some of the basics.

“I started working with her personally and she’s come a long way, and she’s going to go a long way too.

“We have the time to work on different kinds of drills and we can see the improvement when she’s sparring – it’s quite impressive.”

“Her dad doesn’t need to push her, which is great, because people have to want to come and train – if you have to push them then they won’t work as hard and they will lose interest.”

Talent – her coach Charlie Kinde believes Gursimar can go a long way

Boxing may not be the first point of call for a lot of girls, but on the side lines, Mr Johal is noticing that clubs like BKK Fighters are shaking off the image as being an intimidating, all-male zone. Rather, they are becoming places of empowerment for both girls and boys needing confidence.

“Some come because they want to escape from home life, some because it gives them a sense of belonging – as sad as it is to say, a lot of people come because they find it difficult to make friends at school.

“It’s about giving back to the community – positivity breeds positivity and they all spur each other on to do the work.”

As for Gursimar, boxing has taken her on the first few footsteps of a journey she perhaps thought she would never start.

She said: “I had never thought about doing boxing, but my dad showed me some self-defence moves – it’s a nice sport to take up but it’s very hard to learn.

“The footwork and the head movements are the hardest ones – and getting the right rotation for the hooks,” she explained.

“I used to be really sad, upset and scared but ever since I’ve learned boxing I’ve been able to stand on my own two feet and get the bullies to stop.

“It’s made my life easier now,” she said.