Tony Cesay
Boxer
Met Tony Cesay at a gym in East London, and when we; the admirers, talk about finding real stand-up men, whose soul intention is to uplift, train, and help educate those around them, Tony Cesay fits that mould, walks ‘that’ walk, talks that ‘talk’, and no doubt just as when he was a boxer, Tony Cesay lives up to the hype, and it’s only a matter of asking those concerned.
Former England International boxer and Repton captain, former ABA national champion, ABA National boxing Champion, Millennium award winner 2002 for achievements in the community, Carlton multicultural awards winner in 2003, social entrepreneur and London 2012 Olympic games ambassador, now a qualified ABA boxing coach, Tony has formed a boxing group called Omnibus Kid's Gloves, a non-contact Boxing organization which is run by Tony Cesay which was founded in 2001, the aim being to helping young youths by providing opportunities and opening new doors for people with learning difficulties, special needs, behavioural problems and physical difficulties, bottom being Tony Cesay matters, and as before, it’s only a matter of asking all those concerned.
Tony Cesay
WM: Tell me what the inspiration is?
TC: I grew up in East London, when I was a child school wasn’t the thing inspired children like me, back then it was getting into trouble, being poor, using what you had to better yourself, (laughs) We we’re just kids, I remember what we wanted, needed in a’ way was some kind of discipline, now I was at West Ham United FC...
WM: Football?
TC: Yeah, I couldn’t get use to the way they use to bark their orders, in training, and I remember one day I was sitting in a’ café and me and my friend just got talking to some guy, told us to come down to the gym, since that day I didn’t go back to football, boxing ever since, my inspiration is I’ve watched how crime can kill a generations soul, now like I knew then I know why crime…is crime.
WM: And what now?
TC: Now is this gym, I train youths for free, all these gloves and kit, it’s for them, I’ve set up computers in this room your sitting in,(11 computers) there not in the best condition but they okay, gives them chance to access things like education and other things, everything I give is donated, I’ve always been that way, even when I was British ABA champion (Amateur Boxing Association) I was never in it for the fame, unfortunately too many of my friends are in jail, or dead, I’ve seen many more suffer the same fate, my sister committed suicide as well, and that makes me who I am, that inspires me to try and do something for these kids, and nobody else is doing these things, these yutes’ know nobody ain’t doing anything, they feel that nobody cares, that why we’re why we’re here, we need to give them something, doing the boxing gives them the encouragement, tell them that there good, and it gives them the discipline they need, like it gave me.
WM: You’re inspired!
TC: (he smiles) Yeah, some may say for the wrong reasons but I enjoy what I’ do, it’s for a good cause, I only wish more people would stay true to the cause, it’s not about the money or fame, it’s about being the best human being you can be, it’s about loving yourself, and too much of that youthful spirit is wasted no, we need to concentrate on that because if we don’t same things are just gonna’ keep on happening.
WM: It’s been a pleasure, truly inspirational, how about some boxing lessons for me and my son.
TC: (chuckles) Just come along when you’re ready
A boxer’s tightened grip ends the interview.
