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Baltic Big Show raring to go
Bwogi (in red trunks) will fight in the main event. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
Just hours to Friday, the organisers were denied access to the venue inside the Lugogo Sports Complex which was under the watch of the Special Forces Command ahead of another event on which would host the First Lady Janet Museveni on the same day.
The Big Show, Baltic Promotions’ year-ending boxing event, which was meant for Friday December 20 at the Lugogo Indoor Arena will happen on Christmas, despite financial challenges caused by the postponement.
Just hours to Friday, the organisers were denied access to the venue inside the Lugogo Sports Complex which was under the watch of the Special Forces Command ahead of another event on which would host the First Lady Janet Museveni on the same day.
“Due to unavoidable circumstances, we won't be able to access our venue in good time for the setup tomorrow because the First Lady is invited to a function at the Hockey Grounds close to MTN Arena,” a notice circulated by Baltic Pro Box Promotions on various WhatsApp groups Thursday night, read in part.
“Our boxing event which has been due tomorrow [Friday], 20th December at MTN Arena in Lugogo is rescheduled to Wednesday, 25th December 2024. Thanks for bearing with us and you’re requested to turn up in big numbers on Christmas Day.”
However, there are unconfirmed reports that the situation was further complicated by the video that made rounds on Wednesday in which opposition politician Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine was rallying people to “fill Lugogo and support Coach Mudde.”
Mudde Robinson Ntambi, who is one of the fighters on the card, is a long-time friend of Bobi Wine and was among those detained in Kitalya and tried by the general court martial during the 2021 political period. Ntambi and others were released months later, others are still in jail.
For his politically stinging lyrics, Bobi Wine has not performed in Uganda for years after some of his concerts were blocked for “security reasons.” But the Afro Beat artist has attended several music and boxing events.
Nevertheless, the postponement was costly. “We’ve had challenges convincing service providers to work for a 50 percent increment but they’re asking for 100 percent,” Baltic boss Eddie Bazira told Daily Monitor.
"Two of the four Tanzanian fighters are already here and that means more costs on the promoter. The weigh-in also must be repeated. “It’s straining but we can’t stop,” Bazira said.
In the main fight, Musa Shadir Bwogi will take on Tanzanian Joseph Gihi in an eight-round non-title affair. The Tokyo 2020 Olympian who boasts seven wins in as many professional bouts has promised a “super show” on his return to the historic Lugogo Arena since August 2023.
