Birmingham champion boxer on unfair stereotypes amid fears children are being labeled ‘lazy and anti-social’

A world champion boxer who grew up in inner-city Birmingham has spoken out about the unfair stereotypes young people face. Kal Yafai, along with his brothers Gamal and Galal, who are also professional boxers, were recently appointed as the first ambassadors for a new campaign in the West Midlands.

The My Tomorrow campaign wants to give young people their own platform to challenge harmful stereotypes. It will run for a year, with the hope that it can make a difference to young people’s lives while addressing concerns about employment, violent crime and cuts to youth services.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster said he was “deeply concerned” that some young people in the region were being unfairly labeled as lazy, anti-social and even violent. Ahead of the campaign’s launch event at Millennium Point last week, Kal expressed similar concerns, saying: “I am 100 per cent concerned about the future of young people, especially those from underprivileged areas, who are automatically blamed when problems arise.

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“They need a lot more support and it’s something that’s being overlooked.” Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service at the event, he said children were being unfairly stereotyped because of “the world of social media and the internet”.

On the positive impact the campaign could have, he said: “You have to hear the voices of young people – I think that’s the most important thing. People only think about what young people need, they don’t actively hear it from themselves, so I think that’s key.”

Mr Foster said at the event that the campaign was about “firmly rejecting” these stereotypes. “In my opinion, they are based on ignorance and an inability to understand that young people are essentially really positive,” he said.

“They have a lot of energy, they have great ideas and wonderful intelligence, and they have fantastic creativity.” Discussing the brothers’ upbringing in inner-city Birmingham and how they discovered their purpose growing up, European champion Gamal Yafai said. : “We found boxing and boxing helped us a lot.

“I had a bit of anger so boxing helped me a lot and kept me off the streets, put me on the straight and narrow. I loved it – it was something I always wanted to do.”

The brothers have already tried to make a positive difference through their own foundation, which aims to encourage and support young people to overcome challenges. “We’re just getting started,” said Olympic gold medalist Galal Yafai. “We’re still learning too – that’s why we come to these types of events and talk to people and kids.

“Before boxing, I was in the same position. If guys like us can go through the same situations in the same city, then these guys can too.”

Youth-led research, funded by the PCC Violence Reduction Partnership, helped shape the My Tomorrow campaign. The campaign, by Coventry charity The Positive Youth Foundation, will see a year-long program of events for young people in the region, supported by free resources and “extra manpower” for youth organizations and charities.

Rashid Bhayat, CEO of Positive Youth Foundation, said: “The campaign is the start of the conversation young people want to have with their communities. They have been incredibly brave in their honesty about what affects them most and, importantly, they want to remind us all that they are the solution, not the problem.”

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