By Juma Ali
Despite a significant budget cut for sh3bn to Sh300m, Uganda Boxing Federation seems to be having a busy year including the Africa Boxing Championship slated for July 25 in Yaoundé Cameroon.
The Big Calendar also includes the Olympics Qualifier games that will be in Senegal in September as well as All Africa games that will come Early next year in Ghana.
Uganda Boxing Federation has named 17 Boxers on the Bombers team – 11 men and six women – for the Africa Boxing Championship in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Despite, both Medal winners in last year’s Championship in Maputo, Mozambique are not on the team – Jonathan Kyobe, a bronze medalist and Yusuf Nkobeza.
UBF president Mr. Moses Muhangi, has confirmed that government has fully supported the team although he didn’t disclose the amount of money.
“Since these games were to be held in last financial year, government has given us all the money we need for this Championship,” UBF president Muhangi said.
Government through NCS first gave Uganda Boxing Federation 132 Millions and in the last Quarter of the financial year they received 860 Million which part of this money will cater for this Championship.
But with less than two weeks left for the Championship, the team is not yet in Camp.
“Of Course the Champions league has helped to shape our boxers but it’s not enough, we needed a non residential and residential training to sharpen our boxers more. But since we received the money a bit late from government, we had no option.”
“I think it was a wrong decision to cut our budget, it was an influenced decision and political which we think next time will be reversed.”
The team is dominated by debutants on the international scene with 12 boxers making a debut.
Five senior boxers including Joshua Tukamuhebwa who captained the Bombers to the Commonwealth games in England last year and has also been at other international competitions like The All Africa Games in Rabat Morrocco 2019 and last years Africa Boxing Championship in Maputo Mozambique, have been included.
The other four senior boxers are Geko Solomon who competed in 2014 Commonwealth games in Glasgow Scotland, Mukiibi Idris who was at Africa Boxing Championship last year in Mozambique, Matovu Ukasha who made an international debut at 2018 Youth Africa Championship in Morocco and finally a female boxer Emily Nakalema who was at the Africa Olympic Qualifier games in Dakar Senegal and nearly qualified for Tokyo Olympics.
The debutants are Mulungi Kassim, Joseph Kalema, lightweight Ssali Wasswa, light-middleweight Muzamir Semmuddu, middleweight Ronald Okello, cruiserweight Lawrence Kayiwa and super-heavyweight James Baraka.
Female debutants are light-flyweight Grace Nakinga, bantamweight Naddia Najjeme, featherweight Sharua Ndagire, lightweight Zahara Nandawula and light-welter Erina Namutebi.
Coaches are Twaib Mayanja and Ramadan Seguya.
Uganda finished joint 15th overall with Guinea in last year’s Africa Championships in Maputo each with two bronze medals.
