Golola honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at Real Stars awards

Moses Golola, Uganda's leading kickboxer, has been honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Fortebet Real Stars Awards for his significant contributions to popularizing the sport.

Known for his exceptional skills and his ability to build a strong personal brand, Golola has played a pivotal role in bringing kickboxing to prominence in Uganda.

Isac Mukasa, the CEO of the Real Stars Sports Awards, announced that they have chosen to honor Golola for his significant contributions to a previously unknown sport, helping to bring it into the spotlight.

"He has inspired many to take up the sport, and many aspire to be like him," Mukasa stated. "He has promoted not only his own brand but also that of the country. He has competed in the region, across Africa, and in Europe." Mukasa stated, after he presented the award to the motor-mouthed Golola, who was grateful but also disappointed by the government’s commitment to sports.

Golola dedicated the award to the youth in the ghetto and thanked the organisers of the awards and the media for recognizing the deserving sportsmen.

“I continue to wonder why sports in this country hasn’t received the deserving recognition they merit from the powers that be, but this award is motivating, and it tells the story of how far we have come and how hard we have worked,” Golola said.

“But unfortunately, our government has not come out to give us enough recognition. They should come out and support the young generation so that they have training facilities. They should also support sportsmen like they support members of parliament with cash bonanzas.

“They should support academies that have come up to develop talent and not wait to ride on talent that has blossomed from the ghettos. We want to see more talent develop; we want to grow more talent and see more champions, but the kickboxing federation has been sidelined. Yet we have motivated and empowered many youths because everyone wants to be like Golola,” Golola, who came dressed as a traditional healer, stated.

But he said he was not going to give up on the sport and is going to find ways in conjunction with his fans.

Golola was recognized alongside footballer James Bogere, whose goals helped Uganda qualify for their maiden U-17 World Cup from the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Rugby player Lydia Namabiro and kabaddi player Eunice Awori were also recognized for their outstanding performances as they represented the country with their respective national teams.

Bogere, whose goals helped the Uganda U-17 team qualify for their maiden World Cup, said he was happy as a player and thanked all those that have helped him, right from his teammates, coaches, and FUFA.

“I’m happy because getting to this level is no mean feat, but it also helps me in my development, and it energises me to continue working hard. I’m writing my story in a good way; it is motivating and helping me to grow as a player,” Bogere stated.

“We are happy that we qualified for the World Cup; we just have to continue doing what we have been working on because we prepared well and went and gave it our best. And that’s what we have to do in addition to good preparations,” Bogere said before advising his fellow youth to continue believing in themselves and working on their craft but, most importantly, giving the game time.

Namabiro, who picked up her third Real Stars award, said she was happy to have been chosen again and that this had inspired her to continue with the hard work.

“Despite the weather and poor meals, we tried our best and made sure Uganda shines. We worked as a team and delivered during the Rugby Africa Women's Division I in Ivory Coast,” Namabiro said.

St. Bernabas College Migadde’s S.5 student Awori also promised to continue with the hard work after she excelled in the Africa Women Kabaddi Championship in Nairobi, where they excelled against Kenya Tanzania, and Zanzibar as they defended their African title.

“I feel good for having won this award because not everyone makes it here, and when I reflect on my journey since starting out, I feel very good for myself and the Kabaddi Federation for what we have achieved. I see myself continuing to excel in this sport. I believe in myself, and I think God is also on my side,” the left corner and cover player said.

She said it was due to teamwork that they excelled.