With the national junior boxing Championship underway from April 29-May 5 at MTN Arena in Lugogo, Uganda boxing federation (UBF) is still held back by lack of finances to stage a successful championship.
The junior championship will attract boxers aged between 15 and 16 years and over 600 boxers are set to take part. According to UBF President Moses Muhangi, about Shs 100m is needed but are yet receive any money from government.
“We shall have to find a way of fixing this and I am confident we shall. The money is much needed than ever before because we want to award winners with boxing gear and equipment,” Muhangi told the media during the championship’s launch on Tuesday at UBF offices in Lugogo.
Medical check-up, weigh-in and draws will precede the much anticipated action.
Muhangi says that government through National council of sports (NCS) gave the federation Shs125m and this money was even not enough to stage on event –the 2019 National Open championship in February.
Since then, no money has been extended to the boxing federation yet they organised the national schools championship last month using a loan from the federation finance partners Street finance limited.
“The problem is that we borrow at an interest and yet again, the company that lends us (Street finance limited) has had a back foot of recent due to the fact that he federation has no collateral security to deposit for the loan acquisition,” noted Muhangi.
UBF has four main championships; The Junior, Novices, Cadets, Intermediate and lastly the National Open championship from which a pool of national team players is chosen.
