Boxers get new ring to ease congestion

Gameplan.  Shaluwa Ndagire (red corner) and Zahara Nandawula in the exhibition fight that launched the new ring. PHOTO/ABDUL-NASSER SSEMUGABI 

What you need to know:

  • Renowned kickboxer Moses Golola amplified his gratitude to Top Boy by challenging the government to buy 99 more such standard rings as a deliberate project to develop combat sports.

Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) president Moses Muhangi believes the new boxing ring unveiled at Kampala Hockey Grounds, Lugogo yesterday, shall help a great deal in improving the standards and level of competition in open boxing in Uganda.

Some speakers heaped praise on Muhangi for buying the new ring, “the first of its kind by a federation president in Uganda,” but the UBF boss volleyed the credit to Top Boy, a new professional boxing company, in which he has a stake, for the offer.

“We thank Top Boy for this great offer which will ease the way we organise events and the conditions in which our boxers compete,” Muhangi said during the unveiling ceremony.

The ring is a far better version, compared to the one that has been used by most boxing and kickboxing events for decades. It is smaller, has strongly built canvas, ropes, corner pads, and stools attached to the red and blue poles in either corner. It also takes much shorter time to assemble than its expired cousin.

Muhangi said according to the memorandum of understanding between the ring owner and UBF, the federation shall only cater for transportation of the equipment and assembling costs.

Phillip Munaabi, a Top Boy director, said they procured two rings: one for Open boxing, another for professional. “But both rings shall be hired at a fee. We don’t know the market parameters now but we think Shs2m per ring a day is fair,” he said.

However, Muhangi said that in the event that necessitates using more than one ring simultaneously, the old ring shall also be used alongside the new one. But he ruled out the possibility of upgrading it to Olympic standards.

Renowned kickboxer Moses Golola amplified his gratitude to Top Boy by challenging the government to buy 99 more such standard rings as a deliberate project to develop combat sports.

Technically, the ring comes at the right when boxers are prepping for the National Trials ahead of a presumably actioned-packed 2022. Similarly the ring acquisition is a heavy jab in the face of Muhangi’s political opponents, if any, en route to the next UBF elections.