Dream Championship 2.0 in the Ring as Well

The country’s sports program aimed at creating opportunities – which is more than just the Provident Dream Championship 2.0 – continues with soccer and boxing. Former world champion boxer Zsolt Erdei has already trained with the children and, during a motivational talk, emphasized the importance of sports, community, and perseverance. The finals for the young boxers will be held in Budapest in the second half of October, according to a press release from Provident Financial Ltd.

This year, the Provident Dream Championship 2.0 is expected to provide regular sports opportunities – and even a path extending into young adulthood – to more than 200 children living in disadvantaged regions. The program was born out of the recognition that regular training and shared sports experiences strengthen skills such as perseverance, cooperation, self-discipline, and responsibility – all of which can play a key role in helping disadvantaged social groups catch up. The joint program of Provident Financial Ltd. and the Hungarian Interchurch Aid organization launched last year, with more than 180 children aged 8–14 participating in its first year.

“The first year of the Dream Championship showed that we can create real opportunities for children through sports. That is why we decided to continue and further develop the program. By incorporating boxing, even more young people can find a sport in which they can experience success, discover their own strength and learn to work persistently toward their goals,” according to Viktor Boczán, CEO of Provident Financial Ltd.

In Dream Championship 2.0, boxing has been included this year through a professional partnership with the Hungarian Boxing Federation. The sport offers new opportunities for children who find motivation in individual sports, while also developing, among other things, concentration, self-discipline, and self-confidence.

A special guest at one of the boxing training sessions was Zsolt Erdei, who trained alongside the young participants and then, drawing on his own experiences as an athlete, spoke to them about perseverance, dealing with failure, and working toward goals. The filming captured these moments as well.

“Boxing taught me that you have to work for results, and you mustn’t give up even when something doesn’t work out the first time. That’s what I wanted to pass on to the kids as well. The most important thing isn’t that everyone becomes a boxer, but that they experience that they are capable of improving, getting back up, and achieving their goals through perseverance. If they take this with them from the ring into their everyday lives, then it was worth training together,” Zsolt Erdei said. The next major stage of preparation will take place on September 30 at the training field of Budapest club Ferencváros, where the young soccer players of the Dream Championship will face off and, after months of preparation, will be able to demonstrate in match situations just how much they have improved.