“MADE IN WEST NILE FIGHT” TO BREAK SPONSORSHIP BARRIER FOR WEST NILE BOXING

Arua City Boxing Club Officials addressing media ahead of the Made in West Nile Fight- Photo by Morish Dramadri

By Morish Dramadri

Arua city

Arua city boxing club officials have blamed the slow growth of boxing talent and clubs in West Nile on the limited number of the clubs and the tough guidelines by Uganda Boxing federation that has barred them from organizing friendly fights to attract sponsors for the existing clubs, citing the upcoming “Made In West Nile fight” as their only savior to breaking the barrier.

Boxing is currently one of West Nile’s newest talent events, with less than 5 clubs, including Arua city Boxing Club, Arua Boxing club, Katrini Boxing club and Miradua Boxing club, nurturing the talents in the region that is famously known for great sporting talents.

While addressing the media on Wednesday, ahead of their upcoming “made in west Nile fight” scheduled for 31st October at heritage courts in Arua city, Hon Oshino Rashid, the president of Arua City Boxing Club who doubles as the chair West Nile boxing federation stretched that, boxing has struggled to attract sponsors, hoping that the upcoming event will be a breakthrough.

“Being the only boxing club in West Nile, it has been so hard for us to have friendlies. First of all, the ring is not there and the guidelines of Uganda Boxing Federation, UBF is also strict that they don’t all us to organize fights anyhow. This fight that is coming to Arua, I think it will give us hope that now the boxing is taking shape,” Oshino said.

This is the first time West Nile is hosting a national fight in boxing though it has a number of national boxing champions including Netherlands- based boxer Andama Daku, the founder of Anda Boxing club with other young boxers including Ayike Arafah, Aziz Ringo, Sauda Muhammed, Abdul Razak among others.

Sauda Muhammad, one of the boxers for the “Made in West Nile Fight” is expectant that the event will be a time for her to shine nationally.
“The opponent am going to play she’s not just like this upcoming opponents. She has been in the national team, she went for Olympic qualifiers that is one of the biggest tournament we are actually fighting hard for. So, she’s looking for are come back, let her come knowing that her time has faded up and this time is mine,” Sauda expectantly marveled.

Some members of Arua city Boxing Club in a group photo- Photo by Morish Dramadri

Muhammed Okulega the head coach at Arua city Boxing club affirmed their preparedness to win the fight, “The boxers have been well prepared since September for this fight. I have ten bouts who are going to represent Arua city and West Nile at large,” Okulega revealed.
The “Made in West Nile fight” scheduled for 31st of this month is sponsored by Lactic Sports Centre, as the first sponsor for Arua city boxing club.