Two teams, one country: IBA-WB rift leaves Uganda with parallel boxing squads

A long-standing rift between the International Boxing Association (IBA) and World Boxing (WB) has worsened Uganda's boxing status quo, with two parallel teams from rival factions representing the country at two different continental championships at the same time.

The unusual development has left boxing enthusiasts questioning the sport's governance, the legitimacy of the competing factions and the implications for Uganda's boxers.

On Wednesday, October 14, the National Council of Sports (NCS), led by General Secretary Dr Patrick Ogwel and in the presence of Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) president Moses Muhangi, flagged off the national boxing team, the Bombers, who travelled by bus.

The 18-member squad comprises 10 men and eight women and is currently competing at the inaugural Africa Boxing Championship scheduled for October 15–28 at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.

Four days later, another team was flagged off for the Democratic Republic of Congo by Friends of Boxing (FOB), a non-governmental organisation.

The nine-member squad, including one woman, took their flight on Sunday morning (October 18) for the 23rd edition of the Africa Boxing Championship scheduled for October 19 to November 1 at Stade des Martyrs Gym in Kinshasa.

The two tournaments reflect the widening international divide in Ugandan open boxing.

Friends of Boxing's nine-member squad flagged off for the Africa Boxing Championship in DR Congo. Photo by Fred Kisekka

While the Kenyan championship is under the new Africa body, Africa Boxing (AB), an affiliate of WB, the DRC tournament aligns with the Confederation of Africa Boxing (AFBC), an affiliate of IBA.

The Lugogo Bombers team is under the tutelage of head coach Lawrence Kalyango 'Coach Lora', while the FOB team has former ABU featherweight champion Mike Kizza and former Olympian Sam Rukundo on its coaching staff.

The emergence of the two teams has reignited questions about the authority to represent Uganda internationally and the consequences of the parallel arrangements for the country's boxing fraternity.

Ogwel warns rival factions

During the Bombers' flag-off, Ogwel warned rival factions in Ugandan boxing that authorities will enforce the law and prosecute those interfering with the recognised leadership of UBF.

"We are having a big challenge in boxing; everyone wants to be the president. But I want to tell you that there is only one president at a go," Ogwel said.

"I can tell you we're now going to start biting, and when we say biting, we are going to use the law," he added.

His remarks underscored NCS's position amid the continuing leadership dispute, which has increasingly spilled into Uganda's international boxing engagements.

The genesis of the rift

How did Uganda end up with two boxing teams heading to separate continental championships at the same time?

For observers who have followed the prolonged dispute between Muhangi and his antagonists from the old Uganda Professional Boxing Commission (UPBC), the latest development is another chapter in an increasingly bitter struggle over the sport's leadership and professional boxing administration.

FOB, which has been involved in charitable initiatives supporting boxers since 2021, has also organised boxing events across the country.

"We are not a boxing commission nor federation. Our work is to improve and help boxers achieve their dreams," FOB founder Hajji Yasin told Vision Sport.

FOB's involvement in sending a team to Kinshasa has raised further questions about its intentions amid the ongoing governance dispute.

Muhangi-IBA fallout

Another intriguing aspect of the dispute is FOB's participation in an IBA-affiliated championship, given Muhangi's previous unanimous backing of former president Umar Kremlev.

Under Kremlev's tenure, the Russian visited Uganda twice in 2022 and 2023, as did his vice president Volodymyr Prodyvus in 2024.

Sources say Muhangi's relationship with IBA has deteriorated under new president Claudio Visco.

At the flag-off, Muhangi defended UBF's decision to send the Bombers to Nairobi, arguing that the championship offered a more strategic pathway for the country's boxers.

"We chose the Kenyan event because it makes more sense than the one in DRC. NCS advised us to choose the Kenyan one since it is a precursor to the 2027 Africa Olympic Boxing Qualifiers."