‘I hope I can at least land a nice punch’

All it takes is a few minutes on Google to find out that boxing galas have become immensely popular among student unions in the Netherlands. In addition to the usual elements of a gala, such as posh dresses, suits and drinks, these events involve a seemingly unusual spectacle: students battling each other in an official boxing match, after having trained at a boxing school to become martial athletes in a short amount of time. What made Unitas decide to organise a boxing gala to celebrate its anniversary? What motivates the students to step into the ring? Isn’t it dangerous? Is it any fun? DUB attended the event to find out the answers to all those questions.

Monday, training day

It’s the Monday before the boxing gala and I’m cycling to a boxing school at an industrial site between the neighbourhoods of Lombok and Kanaleneiland. That's where sixteen Unitas members will be training so that they can step into the ring on Friday, November, 23. Tens of other members started the same training in November, after which a knockout race followed. The sixteen members that remained are the ones who will be fighting in the gala.

They have been training for about three months now. “That’s pretty short notice for a match,” admits Anthony, the coach. “But they’re working hard. Besides, that's what a boxing gala for students is about. It's an opportunity to get acquainted with boxing, although the match is shorter than real boxing matches. It has three rounds of a minute and a half each.”

That doesn’t make the training sessions any less intense, though. After warming up, the coach shows different combinations of punches, hooks, and uppercuts, letting the students “ram for a while.” Since the gala is in sight, the students are getting one more chance to give it their all, which their increasingly sour faces clearly show.

Pain everywhere
After the training session, I meet Sterre, who’s just completed a Master’s degree in Conflict Studies & Human Rights, and Jan, who is in the second year of a Bachelor's in Psychology. They both already have some boxing experience, but this training is something else. “I didn’t enjoy the training this past week and a half at all", says Jan. "I was hurting everywhere. I’ve learned a lot these past few months, but I’m also looking forward to getting back to my normal life after the match. Now, I always leave parties early, I don’t drink and I go to bed early. I also had to quit football for a while to focus on this.”

Sterre has stopped drinking altogether too. "I didn’t drink much to begin with, but when the training sessions started, I stopped drinking altogether. In the beginning, we were training two or three times a week, but later we increased the frequency to five or six times a week. It just felt like a waste to drink alcohol because then your is cleaning up the alcohol instead of building muscle. Besides, getting a liver punch when you’re hungover isn’t exactly pleasant either.”

So why join the training programme in the first place? "I'd already done some boxing, although it wasn't much. I used to joke about that on our commission nights, challenging people to romp with me because I was a 'novice boxer.’ So it was kind of a given that I would register for the boxing gala. I made a bit of progress with each session, so now I’m just going to step into the ring.” 

Jan didn’t have any doubts either: “When I heard there was a boxing gala coming up, I thought it would be super cool to be able to say I participated in it. And when I heard what the training programme was going to look like, I was excited to join in.”

Sterre. Photo:BoukeBeerPhotography

Knock-out
A boxing match involved risks, obviously. It's not unusual for participants to get hurt or even knocked out during student boxing galas (link in Dutch, Ed.). Sterre and Jan don’t seem to be too worried about that. “The idea of getting knocked out is a little bit scary, especially in front of nine hundred people, but there’s such a small chance of that happening. We have to wear a helmet and we've been taught how to protect ourselves. In other student boxing galas, it only happened once that someone needed 8 seconds to recover, which is nice to hear. The referee also intervenes when someone gets the upper hand. They take really good care of you.”

Jan replies laconically: “I don’t feel like it’s dangerous or that I’m going to get hurt. But it is a bit scary to stand there and perform in front of such a big crowd. I hope it's going to be a great match and I can at least land a good punch. I might get knocked out, but, if that happens, it’ll be an experience in itself. Don’t get me wrong: I want to win. But just stepping into that ring is a win anyway.”

Olaf, a student from the commission that’s organising the boxing gala, tells us about the precautions. “The boxing federation (WMTA) is tightening the reins. Boxing is a contact sport, so there are risks involved. It’s the same as a professional boxing match. To uphold the sport's image, the federation tries to avoid unnecessary risks at events organised by students. They also know a lot more about it than we do. Professional officials will be present and we're working with experienced coaches."

Friday, the big day

It's finally Friday. The venue is sold out and people seem to be having a good time. Some are gathering behind one of the boxers, talking about what they’re expecting from the match. Here and there, we hear predictions of who will go home with the trophy. Olaf, who is part of the organising committee: “This is a hot topic in our association because it's such a unique event. We’ve got people from previous and current years entering the ring and tickets were sold out in no time. Five years ago, Unitas also celebrated its 100th anniversary with a boxing gala. But this type of event wasn't as common at the time. It was a huge success, which is why we've decided to do it again this time."

As the match begins, the atmosphere in the venue changes completely. All eyes are on the ring. The music stops and the space is filled with the sound of the audience roaring. They cheer each time someone throws a good punch.

Jan Photo:BoukeBeerPhotography

In the ring
Jan enters the ring to the sound of Michael Jackson’s Beat it. Both boxers exchange a few words with their coaches before the bell rings. Jan is a match for his opponent. The men are careful not to simply go on the attack. They wait for the right opportunity to punch, but the other expertly blocks it and immediately returns the gesture. For a while, it goes back and forth like that. Some punches are dodged, others hit hard. Then Jan gets a right on his jaw. He’ll definitely be feeling that one tomorrow.

Freedom by Beyoncé is blasting from the speakers. That’s Sterre’s secret weapon. As the bell rings, an energetic fight starts. Sterre and her opponent are using all the space. They punch hard and fast whenever they get the chance. In the third round, their exhaustion starts to show: the women are dropping their cover. As a result, we see some hard hits from both sides. Sterre unfortunately gets hit a bit more than her opponent. She loses on points.

Both Sterre and Jan go home without a trophy. However, Sterre was named "boxer of the evening" for having shown the most progress throughout the training programme. 

Just me now
After the gala, I call them to ask how they feel now that the event and the whole training programme are over. Jan is handling his loss quite well. “Saying it was fun would be an understatement. This is one of the best things I’ve ever done. It was so bizarre. One moment you're a nervous wreck then you're completely calm in the next. When I walked down the stairs and stepped into the ring, I was in this tunnel vision. When the coach left the ring, I thought ‘It’s just me now’ and I just started fighting. The rest of the evening was marvellous as well. It made me feel like some kind of superstar.”

Sterre also remembers the evening with joy: “I might not have been able to show all I’ve got and I’m a bit disappointed about that. However, I am really proud of the fighter mentality that I’ve developed. I wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again. Exercising has been great for me, mentally. Boxing calls for a positive mindset and I’m trying to hold on to that. I’m going to be travelling through South Africa for the next couple of months, but I want to pick up martial arts again when I get back.”