UBF’s Muhangi pleads for restoration of Boxing in schools
By Aloysius Byamukama
Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) president Moses Muhangi, has pleaded with the ministry of education and sports, to restore boxing back in schools.
Muhangi, who has returned as the federation president for the second term after being unopposed by the closure of presidential candidates nominations last week, attended Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) annual general meeting as an invited guest and when he was invited to speak on behalf of other federations, not in the USSSA competitions, he spoke out his plea.
“Our sport is being sidelined and there’s no way a sports discipline can prosper when it’s cut off the grassroots processes and schools are the hub of any sport development. I have begged for this to no avail and I here beg again, Mr Commissioner, kindly bring boxing back in schools,” Muhangi said.
The meeting presided over by commissioner physical education and sports Rev Can Duncans Mugumya, who represent state minister for sports Denis Obua, was also attended by NCS assistant GS Dick Katende and federation presidents Sarah Babirye of UNF and Muhangi of UBF.
Muhangi blamed then physical education and sports Dan Tamwesigire, for banning the sport from schools, which he said was not a right decision for boxing is the safest sport at the amateur level.
“I have tried to ask for that letter banning boxing so I go to court, but I have not got it. People understand football, they understand athletics but they don’t understand boxing and all this is happening because there’s a man called Tamwesigire. Hon commissioner our performance internationally is not good because we don’t have youngsters coming up,” Muhangi said
Adding, “Boxing is the safest because no one inflicts injury on the other because an athlete of junior and youth age cannot box without headgear to protect the skulls and I don’t know any other sort that protects skulls like boxing. Boxers have to have their medical checks before entering the ring, so commissioner take our message and see that boxing is restored back in schools,”
In response, commissioner Mugumya said, “Boxing has had their complaint before but we need to find out from our previous leaders why the sport was removed, see the concerns and then see how we can work on them together with other stakeholders like NCS and associations in schools and then see how okay it is to have it back,”
USSSA president Patrick Okanya, in his communication, said the association is looking at how to include combat games (karate, boxing and kickboxing) since they played at schools international level where Uganda participates.
Boxing was scrapped from the schools’ calendar in a February 2009 communication by then-commissioner Dan Tamwesigire, to then IOC sports education and development officer Thomas Sithole, as he was quoted saying the sport was not safe for the school children, thus:
“These children are young and cannot stand punches on their heads. We want to guarantee their safety. Unless I get a clear explanation of the mental effects of boxing to these young men and women, I will scrap it from the schools’ calendar. If the gloves make it safer how come someone is punched on the head and becomes unconscious? They can only hold it (schools boxing) unofficially,” Tamwesigire quoted as having said and pleas by then UABF president Roger Ddungu went to a deaf ear.
Until its scrapping, schools like Kololo High, Kako SS, Kisugu College, Dynamic College, Nyakasula School and Entebbe SS were leading boxing schools that produced prominent boxers Godfrey Nyakana and Justine Jjuko.