We won’t tolerate new boxing clubs without gyms, says boss Muhangi

Tough Talking. Boxing’s Muhangi

Moses Muhangi, the Uganda Boxing Federation president warned that no new boxing club will be endorsed without well-built training grounds, if the current state of clubs is to be improved.

“We have enough patients in intensive care, we can’t admit more in such situations,” said Muhangi in his closing remarks at the extraordinary general meeting at Kati-Kati Restaurant in Lugogo Monday. “We have seen most clubs train in poor environments, some in open space, others on edges of drainage channels. Seriously we must graduate from this.”
The main agenda of the EGM was to discuss the standing of the boxing clubs according to a report by the clubs inspection team that toured all the clubs across the country for three months.

For a club to be considered a legit member of the federation, it had to have: an executive committee, a constitution [in tandem with that of the federation], a training ground, at least six registered boxers in each of the juniors, youths, elite and women categories, a trainer, participated in at least three UBF events in the last three years, and a letter of recognition from the local authorities.

The inspection done by Isaac ‘Zebra’ Ssenyange and Dr Martin Ntulume, found that just a few of the 66 clubs that were registered in 2013, ticked all the boxes. The assembly agreed to lower the standards to accommodate a sensible number. Even then only 30 clubs passed the basic mark, 24 were announced defunct and the rest must register again, or pay affiliation arrears for reactivation.

CURRENT STATUS

66: clubs registered by 2013
30: clubs approved by 2019
24: clubs defunct by 2019
12: clubs pending review 2019