In Pune, boxing keeps teens out of trouble

With Crimes Involving Juveniles On The Rise, Former Boxers Are Using The Sport To Not Only Inculcate Discipline In Teens But Also Give Them Hope

- Ardhra Nair

Teens throwing punches at each other in public gardens, community halls and empty parking lots in Pune make Vikas Jadhav smile. The assistant

inspector of Pune police’s crime branch sees a boxer and a fighter in each one, and a future away from crime.

A few months ago Jadhav and his team brought in a few teens for brandishing swords at a birthday celebration. Some had a police record and others showed criminal leanings. Among them was a 16-year-old from Jadhav’s childhood neighbourhood. He had no criminal record but the signs were all there. Jadhav ordered the boy’s parents to send him to the public garden under his care to learn boxing. “If you want to fight, do it in the ring,” he told the boy.

Crimes involving teens, especially from poor neighbourhoods, have been rising in Pune. Pune police registered 288 cases involving juveniles in conflict with law in 2021 – a 19% increase over the 243 cases in 2020. In 2019, there were 299 cases.