It was exactly nine years ago that I called in on the English Schools Boxing Championships in Barnsley during a visit to Yorkshire. A good friend, ex-journo John Morris, the former general secretary of the pro body the British Boxing Board of Control and subsequently president of the Schools ABA. had marked my card: "There's a 15-year-old kid who is sensational, the best of his age you are ever likely to see."

He was right. That kid was Amir Khan. He demolished his opponents in quick time, went on to become the Olympic lightweight silver medallist at 17 and, four years later, the WBA world light-welterweight champion.

It is some journey from Barnsley to Baguio City in the Philippines, where I tracked down Amir this week to chat about his upcoming title defence in Manchester against the unbeaten European champion Paul McCloskey on Saturday April 16.

Amir is training there with the great Filipino Manny Pacquaio, now a stablemate, in a state-of-the-art high altitude complex complete with running track and swimming pool. A far cry from his days as a schoolboy scrapper.

However Amir was intrigued to learn that two days before he faces Ulsterman McCloskey at the MEN Arena, Manchester will be the scene of a revolutionary tournament featuring schoolboy (and some schoolgirl) boxing - with a real difference.

For this will be boxing without the blood and bruises.

Moreover the kids, mainly aged between 11-13, will not only be in the ring as combatants but acting as seconds, referees and judges.

This event will be part of a four-hour Festival of Boxing, featuring a number of local schools, at the Abraham Moss High School, in Crumpsall, and is the latest evidence of how the sport, once counted out by those spoilsport teachers, over-protective parents and PC education authorities who threw up their hands in horror at the thought of little Johnny getting a tap on the nose, is making a tremendous comeback in schools.

Much of the credit for this must go to Kate Hoey, a Schools ABA patron, who kicked-started the revival when she was Sports Minister after years of schools boxing being a no-no. Now it is back in hundreds of schools across the nation, albeit more as a sort of 'boxercise' in some, but also competitively and, thanks to Hoey's initial support, as part of an A level PE course in many others.

But what has been happening in two cities – Manchester and Plymouth – is quite fascinating, with the kids being taught not only how to box, but how to score and referee a fight.

This is the brainchild of Frank Collinson, an England international ABA coach who has fought a long, hard and ultimately fruitful campaign to get boxing back into schools.

John Lloyd. head of PE and St Anne's Academy in Manchester, was one who attended a SABA course run by Collinson some 18 months ago and with another Manchester teacher, Chris Davies, whose Abraham Moss school hosts the even, thas helped evolve the novel form of the noble art that will be on display on 14 April. A similar scheme also operates in Plymouth and the hope is that it will catch on nationwide.

Says Lloyd, 33: "I was a bit sceptical at first but after attending the course I realised boxing was practical and skilful and a there was a lot more to it. I could see the benefits for it's inclusion for participation for kids. I hadn't got a boxing background at all, in fact if anything, I was opposed to it as I thought boxing a violent and unnecessary sport. But I was converted.

"So I went to my head teacher and explained what we would need in terms of equipment and alleviating parental concerns to get a boxing course started and he was very supportive. Then I designed a curriculum that I felt appropriate for our school. The trials were very successful and we got nearly all of the 11-13 year olds, boys and some girls, involved."

The pupils are also encouraged to officiate. "We take them through not only the rules of the sport but all the safety aspects, and how to award points. Myself and a colleague actually sparred to show them the sort of punches they should be using, or looking out for. They picked up things quite easily. Obviously they were closely monitored."

Another innovation is that trying to knock out or even hurt an opponent is discouraged to the extent of points being deducted if a combatant is over aggressive. Boxing without brutality?

"There is an art to refereeing these particular bouts because if it appears that one boxer is too powerful for his opponent, he can be restricted in the punches he is allowed to throw, being told for instance that he can only use a jab whilst his opponent can continue to throw combinations. Points are also awarded and deducted for good and bad discipline in the ring. Really it is all about discipline.

"The rules are spelt out beforehand so the kids know exactly what they have to do. There are winners and losers but victory is achieved on skill and discipline, not punching power. One of the instructions the referee uses is 'power off' if he thinks one boxer is coming on too strong."

Another example of the scoring system is that if one boxer loses points for ill-discipline – eg not breaking when told or not reducing the power of their punches – this could out-weigh those awarded for skill. One imagines that it also helps the ringside judges with their maths classes!

"The whole idea is to concentrate on skill and movement," adds Lloyd. "I can honestly say all the bouts we have had there has only been one injury – and that was caused by a mouthpiece rubbing on to the gum and causing it to bleed. I have seen far worse injuries in football and rugby."

Lloyd's school is in Langley, a tough suburb akin to Manchester's infamous Moss Side, and he says that many of the kids involved are from underprivileged backgrounds, some from one of the largest council estates in Europe. There are also a number who live in hostels or sheltered accommodation. There are 600 pupils at the school and almost half of them, including 50 girls, have taken part in the programme.

Although boxing is officially on the curriculum at St Anne's, some of the programme is taken after school or at weekends, and in conjunction with the competitive bouts – staged over three two minute rounds - there is a programme called "Skill-Spar" where no decision is awarded but elements of the sport are used for exercise purposes. This wil be also be featured at the upcoming tournament.

"Obviously this is designed to capture an interest in boxing for the kids and the hope is that they can then move on to a more orthodox form of boxing. What we endeavour to teach them is how to punch accurately and cleanly.

"They are told not to twist punches as they land as obviously this can cause cuts."

Since introducing boxing Lloyd says that the behaviour at the school is vastly improved.

Of course, all this is far removed from the "Thrilla in Manila", or any of razzle-dazzle stuff we may see from Khan two days later, as it is probably more like fencing than fighting.

But as Lloyd says it teaches youngsters the nobility of the art, keeps them off the streets and instils a sense of fair play. And of course, that all-important discipline.

So more power to their elbows – though not, of course, to their punches!

Alan Hubbard is an award-winning sports columnist for The Independent on Sunday, and a former sports editor of The Observer. He has covered a total of 16 Summer and Winter Olympics, 10 Commonwealth Games, several football World Cups and world title fights from Atlanta to Zaire.