Paul Perkins is involved in an exciting initiative.
Paul and Allan Hahn have been successful in securing funding to introduce a Community-Focused Modified Boxing Program in twenty schools in Uttarakhand, India in 2017.
The project aims to use an adapted form of boxing (ModBox) to:
- provide health and fitness outcomes
- develop life skills for participants
- raise awareness of environmental issues
- increase opportunities for female participation in sport
ModBox has been designed to be a low-risk form of boxing. It takes place in encouraging and supportive environments led by sensitive, appreciative coaching and teaching. Emphasis is placed on athlete enjoyment and safety. Participants wear impact-absorbing gloves. There is no contact with a co-participant’s head or neck.
ModBox has five core values:
- Safety
- Continuous learning
- Fair play
- Inclusiveness
- Respectfulness
The program aims “to provide space and time for young people to enjoy the benefits of regular exercise and to use informal learning through sport to teach important life skills”.
The course of study can be found here.
Photo Credit
Bridge over Alakananda (Runa Bhattacharjee, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
About Paul and the ModBox Program
Paul Perkins is a PhD Scholar at the University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise (UCRISE) and the Participation Manager at Boxing Australia. Allan Hahn has provided support and guidance with the development of this program. The ModBox program is being supported by the Australian Government, Boxing Australia and SEDA India will be supplemented by contributions from an Australian company, VTara Energy Group Pty Ltd, the University of Canberra, and the NungshiTashi Foundation. The program is funded through a partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as part of an upcoming aid initiative.