The Uganda Boxing Federation(UBF) president Moses Muhangi rallies all the Boxing sport fraternities to join him in what he calls the fight for fair allocation of sports resources from government to the Federations and Associations.
While addressing members of the assembly in the annual general meeting that occurred on January 28, 2023, Muhangi reiterated his usual call for government for fair allocation of funds to the federations basing even on performance and activities both locally and internationally.
He said that UBF is allocated little amount of money compared to other federations like Football, Rugby and Basketball yet for over the years Boxing has been lifting the country’s flag high in the different competitions.
Out of the 35.9 Billion Uganda Shillings allocated to the 52 local sports governing bodies in 2022, football takes a lion’s share of 17 Billion which is 47.3 % of the total funds that government allocates to the sports sector. While Athletics, Netball and boxing were allocated 3 Billion Shillings each totaling up to only 8.3 % of the total sports budget allocation.
“ There is a huge conversation going on and it’s about the distribution of funds to the federations and association in unfair manner we are agitating this to stop and the National Council of Sports should revisit the criteria its using to allocate these funds’’. Muhangi stated.
He adds on: ‘’It’s not a fight for one federation or for me but for all the sports federations concerning the way funds are distributed. This costs the development of other sports and talents in the country. This is common sense, that there is a problem somewhere which needs to be solved for instance there no way a football coach can earn UGX 85 million per month which totals to about 1.2 billion yet coaches from other sports disciplines are earning peanuts ’’.
Despite the National Economic challenges which came as a result of Covid-19 Pandemic outbreak, UBF approved a budget of UGX 17 billion in the annual general assembly held on January 28, 2023 and the federation’s president, Muhangi was very optimistic that the budget plan is quite achievable.
He said that apart from the funds from government, the budget will be financed by activities such as, Champions league, corporate boxing which has been introduce this year, Buganda Kingdom boxing and inter Kingdoms boxing event, member ship subscription fees from clubs, as well as TV rights.
The federation plans this year to start developing a modern boxing facility because land has already been secured and this depend on how soon the funds will be readily available.
By George Bukenya