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Last Updated: Thursday December 03 2009 07:42 GMT

Boxing lessons rise in schools

Ricky and some boxers

Ricky finds out why more kids are boxing

It might not sound like your usual sports lesson, but lots of children are now learning to box at school.

Around 1,900 schools in England now have boxing on the curriculum. That's a massive rise from 2005 when just 20 schools taught kids the sport.

Boxing has become more popular because of stars like David Haye, who recently became the world heavyweight champion.

It's thought boxing can make kids more confident, but some people reckon it is too dangerous for children.

The British Medical Association wants all boxing banned, which includes stopping children younger than 16 taking up the sport.

It says while headguards do stop some of the impact of a punch, they don't make boxing completely safe.

Non-contact boxing

Most schools teach non-contact boxing which is designed to prevent those who take part from getting hurt.

A government study has shown that around 115,000 young people regularly take part in boxing and 1,528 schools have links with a boxing club.