Do not count on Souleymane Cissokho to do tons of it.
"I do not help the young people of the neighborhood so that they talk about me but just to make people happy," he says straight away.
Same posture when we talk to him about money: “I must have had a grant since 2011, I'm not even asking for it.
If they give me, it's great, otherwise we'll always manage.
The 29-year-old professional boxer works like this, without blah or fuss.
On Sundays, around 4 p.m., as is very often the case, the super-welterweight takes young people from Stalingrad, a working-class district of the 19th arrondissement of Paris that saw him grow up, in Eole, a public garden stuck along railroad tracks.
For a workout that begins with CrossFit and ends with a boxing class.
"Children, even adults, girls, boys, beginners ... Come who wants, when he wants, no need to register", adds the one who did not wait to be an Olympic bronze medalist in 2016 , in Rio, to take care of others.
“I set up the Sports Education Sector association in 2011,” he recalls.
Sport and education go hand in hand, don't they?
Many young people who had potential have deviated, which creates real family tragedies, so we are carrying out awareness-raising actions.
My medal did not bring me more respect, because in this neighborhood, respect has always existed.
But maybe people have a little more admiration.
Especially young people see that it is possible.
I did, so why not them?
"
On his return from the Olympics in Brazil, many young people from the neighborhood wanted to train with him.
“I was asked when I was going to run, if they could come with me.
At one point, I said to myself:
come on, we're going to do something together,
”he says.
"Some have quit smoking, others have lost weight"
The Sunday sports sessions, led by Souleymane according to his availability, end with a moment of conviviality, around a snack.
"Everyone brings what they want, my sister loves to cook, she bakes us cakes", smiles the person who admits his pride.
“Thanks to these sessions, some have stopped smoking, others have lost weight,” he says.
We also create vocations, some young people wanted to obtain a sports diploma, others took up competition.
But what we are looking for above all is the pleasure of getting together.
"
For Souleymane Cissokho, “it has become natural to help”.
/ LP / Icon Sport / Baptiste Fernandez
The meetings are also an opportunity to develop civic actions.
In recent weeks, the boxer and his association have intervened in several cities in France to collect waste: “We love our neighborhood so we want it to be clean.
With young people aged between 10 and 15, we took trash bags and cleaned everything.
"
"I have always been taught that we get rich by giving"
Eight days ago, Souleymane gave a helping hand to the association "Tous ensemble rêve", also supported by Youssouf Fofana and Moussa Diaby, professional footballers in Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen.
“They too come from the neighborhood and for them too, it became natural to help,” he explains.
Through sport but also culture and the arts.
"The neighborhood kids are invited to write their story:" We come from the 19th arrondissement, what mark do we want to leave?
"
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Sunday, the day also ended with a distribution of bags, masks, notebooks and pens.
“With the Covid-19, many families find themselves in precariousness.
The reality of our neighborhood is also people who worked black and who no longer have a job.
Even buying notebooks for school has become difficult for them.
"About sixty young people have benefited from this assistance.
Souleymane Cissokho distributes bags.
DR
"My equipment supplier Under Armor offered masks, the bags come from the endowment he gives me each year", details Souleymane.
Before concluding: “I've always been taught that we get rich by giving, that we don't get poorer.
We helped mothers who came to see us with their children.
A young person who plays football said to me:
but you bought all this for us?
I told her that I was sure she was going to be successful and that she would do the same as me when she was older.
"