The easy option would have been to rebel against a society in which such things were happening, to turn his back on hope and instead embrace bitterness and anger.
Anthony chose the more difficult route of fighting against the status quo in which young people in the London Borough of Newham were being lured into gang culture and were carrying a knife as a matter of course.
A NASSA player since the first impromptu basketball sessions in Balaam Park in 2005, Anthony decided to set up the Carry A Basketball Not A Blade (CABNAB) initiative to try and educate his peers on how to cope with the temptations they faced.
Anthony enlisted NASSA’s help in persuading one of our supporting partners, Tate & Lyle Sugars, to fund school-based basketball sessions which incorporated knife awareness talks.
The extra-curricular sessions feature basketball skills training but also include the mentoring talks to help the young people understand how to avoid being sucked into gang culture.
These school sessions now reach over 2,000 schoolchildren each week in schools and colleges across East London. In addition, Anthony developed a CABNAB workshop which is incorporated into the Newham Juniors Citizens programme run by the Metropolitan Police.
Anthony explains: “CABNAB is all about breaking down divisions between youngsters from different postcodes and between youngsters and the police. Too many young people are dying just because they happen to walk into the ‘wrong’ area.
“If we can get to the youth of today before they slip into gangs or are involved in gang culture itself, getting them to do something positive and constructive like basketball, the impact will be a life with great prospects and positivity.
“To change just one young life is an achievement, but to inspire many is a success. This scheme has inspired thousands of young people and has shown it works.”
The wonderful work fostered by Anthony’s vision of communities in Newham not being torn apart by knife crime has helped contribute to a dramatic decrease in knife crime in the Borough.
“It’s wonderful news that no family has had to endure the heartache that follows such a tragic event,” says Anthony. “But we have to keep working and educating young people so that no young person dies as a result of knife crime in the next 12 months, and each year that follows.”
In January 2015, Anthony received recognition for his CABNAB work from the highest office in the land when he was named as one of the UK’s Points of Light by The Prime Minister, Rt Hon David Cameron.
In a letter to Anthony, The Prime Minister wrote: “Sport has a fantastic power to change lives. By founding Carry A Basketball Not A Blade you have given young people a safe place to be and are raising awareness of the dangers they face if they choose to carry a knife. You have engaged an impressive number of young people and schools in your important campaign.
“I believe it is my duty as Prime Minister to hold up examples of great volunteering and service as an inspiration to others. Through your hard work and dedication you are making our communities stronger and our country a better place. On behalf of the whole country, I hope this Points of Light Award can be a small way of saying thank you.”
The award came as a shock to Anthony, who has since been invited to No.10 Downing Street to meet Mr Cameron.
Anthony says: “It was amazing and very humbling to receive this award from the Prime Minister and then to meet him, but it really belongs to everyone at Newham All Star Sports Academy (NASSA) for their commitment to our young people.”
They have made their mark in education, too.
This autumn, Ilyas will be swapping his basketball vest for a college gown after being accepted into Oxford University to study Medicine at Oriel College. Not to be outdone, Kyan will study Law in London.
Born in London of Spanish parentage, when the twins first attended NASSA sessions as shy 12-year-olds, they were not particularly physically active.
They have shone ever since, not just as basketball players, but as young men dedicated to a sport in which they can pursue their ambitions.
The twins have progressed through the NASSA age group teams and gained valuable sports qualifications in basketball refereeing, officiating and coaching along the way.
Both boys quickly wanted to help out the NASSA coach taking their sessions. They did this every week by setting out equipment for the programme sessions, taking the register, collecting the bibs, washing the bibs, taking the warm-ups and cool-downs and even writing session plans for the warm-ups and cool-downs.
Students at Mayfield School in Ilford, they gained Level 1 Basketball Referee and Basketball Table Official qualifications on the programme in late 2016 when they turned 14 and have officiated at their school’s basketball games ever since. They also officiate regularly at NASSA games at weekends.
In December 2018, Ilyas and Kyan were named joint Young Person of the Year at the L&Q Foundation Awards to celebrate their commitment to the NASSA L&Q Junior Coaches Programme.
The following month, they gained their first basketball coaching qualifications (UKCCL1).
Keeping it in the family, the twins’ father, Framaz Dar, was inspired by his sons and wanted to set an example by volunteering for NASSA himself. Framaz is now an assistant basketball coach having qualified through NASSA.
NASSA Chief Executive Natasha Hart MBE
Framaz Dar, father to Ilyas and Kyan