BRADFORD boxer Bobby Vanzie dominated the domestic scene in the late nineties and now hopes he can use his experience inside the ring to help youngsters outside of it.

Around 300 people were in attendance, including Heaton’s own Cricket World Cup winner Adil Rashid and boxing star Kell Brook, for the grand opening of Vanzie’s latest venture, a self-titled boxing gym hoping to inspire the next generation of the city’s talent.

The former British and Commonwealth lightweight champion has joined forces with local businessman Wasim Rafic to create the academy based around the corner from the popular chicken shop ‘Salahs’ on Leeds Road.

Rafic, who with the help of Bobby’s son Tyrone, had a vision of creating an authentic club where ‘proper’ boxers would be trained by ‘proper’ trainers in the heart of the community.

The Vanzie family, who will be supported by Moss Sheikh, Muhammad Adil and Amar Rashid, have converted what was a semi-derelict building into a fully-fitted boxing gym with a full size ring and plenty of other apparatus for participants to exercise on.

Bobby Vanzie was delighted when he first heard of the idea and is looking forward to helping the youngsters in the same way he was when he entered a boxing gym over 30 years ago.

He said: “About three months ago my brother came to me with a project of opening a gym in Bradford on Leeds Road. I thought that would be a fantastic thing for me to do with my knowledge and 34 years of experience in the sport.

“I then met with the guy who is going to do the business side of it and in his portfolio proves that he hasn’t failed in anything he has taken on.

“Boxing gave me a lot of self confidence and discipline, it kept me off the streets and out of trouble.

“Boxing is for the hungry and for those who have rough upbringings. When I was young, I needed something like this.

“I had to put my aggression into the gym, that’s what I did, and it paid dividends.

“People see drug money as an easy thing, there are a lot of kids doing it thinking it is an easy way out, but it is not.

“Leeds Road is a high crime area, we want to stop that and bring the kids in here.”

Fresh from winning one-day cricket’s ultimate prize last summer, Adil Rashid was keen to support his brother, Amar, and his fellow peers’ ambitions.

The Yorkshire bowler thinks the new gym has the potential to produce Bradford’s next big sports stars under the stewardship of the experienced ‘Viper’.

Rashid said: “I am a friend of Bobby Vanzie and he asked me to come down and support the cause.

“The main thing is getting people off the streets and into the gym.

“Getting something that they enjoy and eventually make it into a profession.

“Hopefully we can see the next British star coming from this boxing gym.

“Recognising talent is important and seeing who is good enough to take it to the next level.

“Something that if they are good enough they can go all the way.

“It is a great concept to have, a boxing gym in this area, hopefully it will do wonders.”

The academy will be hosting one on one and group sessions for all ages above seven.

The gym will be open for seven days a week from 10am till 8pm on weekdays with more limited hours on the weekends.

Vanzie ended the opening by outlining his main aim for his new project.

He said: “I am putting what I know back into the children.

“I am going to take them off the street and show that I am somebody who did achieve a lot of things and they can do the same.”

Contact 07426-329394 for more information on how to get involved in the different classes on offer.