Sparks Academy pugilists rue missed chance to exhibit talents

Missed chance. Coach Kalungi (left) with a boxer during a training session. Photo by Regina Nalujja.

For a team that is still struggling to raise pugilists to the national team, cancellation of the National Intermediate Boxing Championships has dealt a big blow to Sparks Boxing Academy.
The National Intermediate Boxing Championships, the first event on this year’s calender that should have seen the fighters trading their gloves starting yesterday, has been swept away indefinitely over coronavirus.

At the gym in Kitintale, a city suburb, some of the youngsters told Daily Monitor after the training was called off that they felt deflated.
“I trained so hard for this moment, I feel so hurt that the event has been postponed,” said Lightwelter weight youth category boxer Pius Siriro.
He has, however, vowed to maintain fitness through personal drills at home.
“I do not have gym equipment but I will make sure I train hard – running, shadow boxing, and such, can be done personally,” Siriro said.

His counterpart Reagan Sentumbwe has called upon Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) to re-schedule the event this year.
“This competition helps us to climb to the National Open Championships from where we can get chances of joining the national team. I hope UBF re-schedules the event this year and not call it off completely,” he said.
Meanwhile Coach Herbert Kalungi has promised to help boxers through online training, saying he will be giving boxers a personal daily training programme focusing on fitness and endurance via WhatsApp.