Uganda out of Africa Boxing Championship due to financial constraints

Since the inaugural Africa Boxing Championship in Cairo in 1962, Uganda’s medal tally at the event is at 54 with 20 gold medals, 17 silver and 17 bronze, ranking 5th overall only behind Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and Kenya.

It is a record Uganda is unlikely to improve as the national boxing team's hopes of competing at this year’s Africa Championship in DR. Congo are virtually done and dusted due to lack of funds.

It is the same story that has continued to hit the progress of Uganda's once golden sport.

The 22nd edition of the Africa men and women boxing championship is slated for October 14 to 27, in Kinshasa.

Defending champions Morocco, the 2023 overall winners in Yaounde, Cameroon are drawing plans to defend their crown, with hosts DRC who finished second in the last edition are rearing to go, while the bombers who finished 9th remain doubtful on whether they will even make it to Kinshasa.

Moses Muhangi, the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) president believes the bomber’s absence in Kinshasa will not only affect boxers' chance to showcase their potential on a continental level, but also fuel another setback in Uganda’s world boxing rankings.

“We haven’t received any money from the National Council of Sports (NCS) in this new financial year. If we fail to get any disbursement from the Government or any bail out from well-wishers, we are out,” a frustrated Muhangi told Vision Sport.

“We wanted to field a full team of 13 men, 12 women and eight officials that we had budgeted for at Sh500m. But we are now ready to drop the number based on the funds that will be availed of to us.”

In Yaounde, a 17 bombers team settled for seven medals inclusive of lightweight Wasswa Ssali and Erina Namutebi’s two silvers, five bronze medals and a whopping Ush 194m in prize money.

Of the 194m, finalists Wasswa and Namutebi pocketed 10,000$ each (Sh37m).

Bronze medalists, welterweight Ukasha Matovu, middleweight Ronald Okello, super heavyweight Solomon Geko, flyweight Grace Nankinga and welterweight Emily Nakalema received $5000 (Shs. 18m).

Quarter finalists, light middleweight Muzamir Ssemuddu, cruiserweight James Baraka, light heavyweight Lawrence Kayiwa and featherweight Sharua Ndagire got $1250 (shs.4.6m).

Efforts to reach NCS’s officials were futile.