Barber Monju gloves up to take Ipswich boxing club on

Head coach Monju Miah supervises young boxers in the ring, Coby Wright and Joe Last (Image: Archant)

Monju Miah has been cutting hair in Ipswich for 19 years and is well known in the Nacton Road community.

And from his school days, he was a keen amateur boxer, and was trained by legendary coach Franny Peake at the Murrayside Club.

Now, with Franny deciding to retire after more than 40 years service in the sport, Monju is leading the team taking the Ipswich Boxing Club forward.

Monju said: “I am really proud and pleased to be chosen by Franny to take the club foward, as head coach.

“He has been dedicaated to the sport, and helping people, for more than 40 years.

“I was a bit of a bad lad at school, always getting into fights. But boxing sorted me out. It gave me discipline.

“Franny did that for me.

“He helped a lot of boys. He didn’t charge me anything and he took us all over the UK, at times to fight.”

Monju runs Nactown Barbers, in Nacton Road, just over the road from Murrayside Youth Centre, where the club meets and trains on Monday and Thursday evenings.

“Eveyone is welcome,” he added.

“I started boxing in year 8/9 at High School and boxed all the way through school.

“Then i was out of training for eight years, and Franny encouraged me to come back over the last three to four years.

“I had a couple of fights, but trained for others and opponents let me down. Franny put me through my coaching badges.

“Franny gave so much to the community and I want to do something to.

“We want to do something for the local community, and offer something to keep kids occupied.

“Amateur boxing is a great sport for young people, for health and fitness too,”

Earlier this year Monju,31, won an award for his community work at the BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) Business Awards, the first time they were held in Suffolk.

They were held at the Universtiy of Suffolk.