Saturday, June 13, marked a heartfelt moment for the sport of boxing as more than 390 boxers turned up for a Friends of Boxing meet held at Panamera Grounds in Naguru.
The meet, spearheaded by the Uganda Professional Boxing Commission’s partner, Friends of Boxing (FOB), aimed at minimising the gap between amateur and professional boxers. The initiative also saw Gulu Boxing Club receive equipment worth millions of shillings to boost the sport in the northern city.
Friends of Boxing ambassador Catherine Nanziri highlighted the importance of the programme.
“This kind of programme that brings together amateur and professional boxers is a game changer. It allows amateur boxers to learn from professionals, and it also makes young boxers believe in the game of boxing,” she said.
Professional boxer Frank Kiwalabye also praised the initiative.
“It has been fantastic to have this kind of session involving professionals and the upcoming boxers because these amateurs are the ones who will eventually become professionals. Therefore, I urge all boxing well-wishers to always support and attend whenever this programme is organised,” he noted.
Besides the training sessions and guidance from professional boxers, officials from the Uganda Professional Boxing Commission and Friends of Boxing extended support by donating equipment worth millions to Gulu Boxing Club.
The equipment included boxing gloves, mouth guards, groin guards, headgear and other essential items used in the sport.
Gulu Boxing Club coach Dragon Kidega, who chose to leave the spotlight in Kampala and return home to develop boxing talent in Gulu City, expressed his gratitude for the support.
“Receiving this equipment is a big relief for us and our young boxers because lack of equipment affects development. We lacked items such as mouth guards and often had to share the few we had. Now we have enough equipment to serve us for some time,” Kidega said.
“I am very thankful to the Uganda Professional Boxing Commission and Friends of Boxing for this support,” he concluded.
