Somalia's only official boxing club offers a haven for a group of young people in Mogadishu.
Boxing was once banned in Somalia, but the sport is being revived in the country still wracked by violence after years of civil war. The only official boxing club is proving a haven for some in the capital, Mogadishu.
Nearby, dust fills the air as another young boxer strikes a battered punchbag. A thump is followed by the rattle of the punchbag's chain like someone shaking a set of keys. "In this city, negative temptations and uncertainty are a part of everyday life. When I jump in the ring, it numbs the pain and takes me away from the troubles around me."
"With this generation, by the time you become an adolescent, you've seen it all. The effects of the violence are all around you and these youth utilise their time in the ring to escape the madness around them and focus on becoming better boxers." The 21-year-old middle-weight hails from a similar background and says the boxing club has had a positive impact on his life, despite growing up in a bleak environment."During my upbringing there was nowhere to play sports, let alone box because of the war but my mother would always support me in my ambitions.
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