Young footballers in Bahrain traded their usual training routines for boxing drills on Tuesday as the Royal Guard Boxing Association (RGBA) and Bahrain Football Association (BFA) launched a six-week youth development programme.

The opening session, held at the BFA pitches, brought together under-13 and under-14 players for non-contact exercises aimed at improving footwork, coordination, fitness and discipline.

Englishman Tony Davis, Director of Boxing for the Royal Guard under the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), led the training alongside team manager Raad Hammoud and boxers Abdullah and Fahad Saleh, Prakash Limbu and Dagendra Tamang.

The youngsters were introduced to basic punching techniques, shadowboxing and movement drills under the guidance of the boxing team.

Boxing Skills Meet Football Training

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, Davis explained that the initiative was inspired by cross-training methods used in professional sport.

"If you look at leading football clubs like Chelsea and Real Madrid, or even teams in sports such as rugby, they incorporate elements of other sports into their training," he said.

He highlighted the similarities between boxing and football, particularly the importance of movement and reacting quickly under pressure.

"On the football pitch, that shot on goal isn't there forever," Davis explained. "So you've got to have that sense of urgency, just like in the boxing ring."

Although participants will practise punching techniques throughout the programme, the sessions will remain non-contact, with no sparring between them.

Davis also revealed that footage recorded during Tuesday's training would be compared with recordings taken at the end of the six weeks, allowing players to see how much they had improved.

He hopes the visible progress will build their confidence while ensuring the experience remains enjoyable.

"That's my objective really, to make sure the kids come away from this smiling," he said.

Building Fitness And Confidence

Nezar Yahya, Safeguarding Officer for Bahrain's Youth Football Team, welcomed the collaboration and emphasised the value of exposing young athletes to different disciplines.

"It's very important they try different sports in addition to their favourite sport, football," he told The Daily Tribune.

Yahya believes the exercises offer an enjoyable way to strengthen the players' physical conditioning, particularly their upper- and lower-body quickness.

"This will help improve their stamina and conditioning strength, which will benefit them in their football careers," he added.

Further sessions will take place over the coming weeks, with the final training providing an opportunity to assess the youngsters' progress.