Despite the tense situation, the boxing competitions have continued. — AFP In PK5, which covers an area of just a few square kilometres (just over a square mile), youngsters are very keen on boxing and there are no less than four clubs. Football and judo are also very popular.
Despite the tense situation, the boxing competitions have continued — but since December 2013, they have only been held in Christian neighbourhoods of the city.
Since the violence began, the district has largely fallen silent, with shops and mosques closed down and even the boxing clubs shuttering their doors for several months. It is a far cry from the once-bustling trading hub of the capital replete with lively bars and colourful stalls packed with goods.
These days, people say they are afraid, with locals preferring to stay holed up at home rather than venturing out onto streets where they could be stoned, kidnapped or killed by armed groups.
'A great day'
Until recently, there were regular clashes between young Muslim vigilantes and their Christian anti-Balaka rivals, with the two sides facing off in a swathe of no-man's land that encircles the district.
But after Pope Francis visited the neighbourhood late last month, bringing a message of peace and reconciliation and insisting that Christians and Muslims are “brothers”, things have been calmer.
“We have had some respite since Pope Francis visited and we must consolidate the message,” Loutomo says.
Boxer Ngassima, a young Christian teenager who “hasn't set foot in this place for two years”, came to look for a Muslim friend from his childhood.
“This is a great day,” he says, his eyes shining after finding his friend and embracing him.
Just beside the ring where the boxers are fighting is a large billboard bearing a map of the country and images of people handing over their weapons.
“Peace” it reads in French. Although it is nothing to do with the event, the message fits.
At the ringside, several judges sit on plastic chairs watching the action.
One of them is Gaspard Kopkapka, a veteran member of Central Africa's boxing association, which counts several hundred members.
“All we hear is talk of war, and we've had enough,” says Kopkapka, who competed in the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Belgrade in the late 1970s.
“We must keep our young people busy. Sport is the best way to cope.”