Orphan children in martial arts cages
Since 2001 the Enbo club has recruited at least 400 children to train for commercial fights. Boys do not want to go home because they have no parents or they are disabled. They also reject plain jobs like animal herding or factory work.
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Police in Chengdu have launched an investigation into a martial arts club suspected of using children and teenagers for commercial cage fights. At least 17 youngsters recruited by the Enbo club have been sent home.
The scandal, which has outraged public opinion, emerged when a video appeared on social media showing two 14-year-olds in a bruising cage fight.
All the kids sent home come from Yuexi (Liangshan Prefecture), one of the poorest areas in China. Many of them are orphans; others have said that their relatives are disabled or unable to take care of them.
The decision to send the kids home came after the police began to probe whether they were forced into commercial fights without access to proper schooling. The club is said to have recruited at least 400 youth since it was founded in 2001.
Many of those sent home have criticised the police for doing so. They said that if they go home, they might end up as drug addicts, herdsmen or factory workers.
The video that led to the police probe was streamed on 20 July. It documents the life of two 14-year olds training at the club — both of whom aspired to win the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts competition
The founder of the club, a retired paramilitary officer only identified named Enbo, said that he recruited the boys with the approval of local civil affairs authorities and that 80 per cent of the students had already dropped out of school before joining the club.
Others said that minors were sent to the club by relatives or local authorities. However, the club has been accused of forcing destitute youngsters into matches and shows at commercial venues to make money for the club.
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