Boxeo Sin Cadenas (Boxing without Chains) celebrates eleven years teaching in prisons

The social and sports program developed in Argentine prisons with the support of the WBC completed eleven years of activity this month.

This collective and non-profit initiative proposes to bring boxing to the prisons of the province of Buenos Aires. It currently operates in Batán, La Plata, Lomas de Zamora, among others.

It also worked in different prisons in the interior of the country, such as in the province of Salta and Santa Cruz.

Under the coordination of a great team of physical education professionals and boxing technical directors, Boxeo sin Cadenas celebrates another year bringing this sport to several Argentine penitentiary units.

A space for meeting and learning is generated through this discipline. All activities are carried out with the support of the WBC, and with the collaboration of the Buenos Aires Penitentiary Service, both its authorities and its teachers, who actively participate in the activities.

The purpose of the program is to work focused on the reintegration of those who are currently deprived of their freedom, using sport as a tool to transform reality.

In this way, these classes are one of the many treatment proposals that are developed regularly and that seek, through physical activity, to promote values ​​for positive change, in addition to showing the discipline, not only from a physical activity perspective. but also, as a possible work activity for the future in freedom.

Gustavo Zacarías, a teacher from La Plata who periodically visits Unit 9, commented that “Boxing without Chains has been working for many years, both in provincial prisons and in the Federal Penitentiary Service and that in each of the different proposals, the “The results have been very good and, above all, encouraging for those who practice it.”

Sebastián Desocio, physical education teacher at the same penitentiary unit, explained that “these meetings with civil organizations allow for an extremely enriching exchange for people deprived of their liberty;

Important fundamental values ​​such as respect, self-control, and self-confidence are reinforced, responsibility and teamwork.” And in that sense, he also added that “beyond the technique and tactics of the discipline, our focus is to provide learning spaces using sport as a channel for positive change in the lives of inmates.”

The team is directed by Martin Danese, coordinated by Antonela Schiantarelli, Federico Lubo, and Soledad Manrique, and has the collaboration of a great team including Juan José Bogace, Hernan Redondo, Fernando Pereyra (founder), Fabian Gusman, Diego De Souza, Pablo Gallardo, Ariel Niro, Omar Barrial and Marcos Arienti (founder).

During his visit this week to Unit 9 of La Plata, Fabián Gusman, one of the technicians who received his training while he was in Sierra Chica, pointed out at the end of the class that “you can see in each meeting many people training with the desire to be free, because when they are training in there they seek their freedom.

And boxing is that search for freedom. I always say that the glove laces are one more link that they break in search of their freedom. When inmates train, those two hours of Unchained Boxing are two hours less inside their cell.

What is achieved with that? A healthier mindset and a healthier body. For me, when I was in prison, boxing gave me that freedom. And today that I am abroad, boxing continues to help me, I have my boxing school where I work with the kids from the villages.”

This testimony is the one that best summarizes the objective of this social reintegration program that is being developed in Argentina and that the WBC wants to show to the world.