Katende’s not the issue
Feb 25, 2007
IT’S said that two brains are better than one. Uganda Amateur Boxing Federation has in that spirit decided to employ four national coaches.
I SAY SO - By James Bakama
IT’S said that two brains are better than one. Uganda Amateur Boxing Federation has in that spirit decided to employ four national coaches.
Mild mannered Dick Katende has for the past 15 years been Uganda’s lone national coach.
But Roger Ddungu’s executive is of the view that a single coach is not up to the task of churning out medals and has therefore decided to raise the numbers.
UABF publicist Sande Musoke talked of division of labour. There are those who actually argue that the national open champion should also provide the national coach.
But is the idea of a single coach the exact reason for Uganda’s decline?
I am one of those who argue that under the current conditions and talent development structures, not even the world’s top ten coaches will improve the national team.
Jimenez Lazaros, the Cuban from whom Katende took over, was a very good coach. But, could he measure up to the success attained by his predecessor Grace Peter Seruwagi? Uganda’s problem is not at the apex, but at the grassroots.
What UABF should do, is strive to ensure that clubs are exposed to not only the right coaching methods, but also competitions that measure up to international standards.
You only had to be at the recent National Open to know the extent of our boxing problem.
The bulk of the boxers lacked basics like how to throw a proper punch! How the judge’s decided who won therefore was many times a mystery.
Mind you, the open is Uganda’s biggest boxing competition from which the national team is picked.
The four coaches will therefore sadly spend the bulk of their time teaching basics.
A national coach is not supposed to get raw material. This coach is supposed to get finished products and only fine-tune them with strategies.
Grace Seruwagi or Cuban legend Alcides Sagara excelled not because they were geniuses but because of solid structures that churned out super fighters.
This success largely had to do with deliberate and sustained campaigns to keep even the village coach up to date with modern training trends and scoring systems.
So, UABF had better focus in the right direction.
jbakama@newvision.co.ug
IT’S said that two brains are better than one. Uganda Amateur Boxing Federation has in that spirit decided to employ four national coaches.
Mild mannered Dick Katende has for the past 15 years been Uganda’s lone national coach.
But Roger Ddungu’s executive is of the view that a single coach is not up to the task of churning out medals and has therefore decided to raise the numbers.
UABF publicist Sande Musoke talked of division of labour. There are those who actually argue that the national open champion should also provide the national coach.
But is the idea of a single coach the exact reason for Uganda’s decline?
I am one of those who argue that under the current conditions and talent development structures, not even the world’s top ten coaches will improve the national team.
Jimenez Lazaros, the Cuban from whom Katende took over, was a very good coach. But, could he measure up to the success attained by his predecessor Grace Peter Seruwagi? Uganda’s problem is not at the apex, but at the grassroots.
What UABF should do, is strive to ensure that clubs are exposed to not only the right coaching methods, but also competitions that measure up to international standards.
You only had to be at the recent National Open to know the extent of our boxing problem.
The bulk of the boxers lacked basics like how to throw a proper punch! How the judge’s decided who won therefore was many times a mystery.
Mind you, the open is Uganda’s biggest boxing competition from which the national team is picked.
The four coaches will therefore sadly spend the bulk of their time teaching basics.
A national coach is not supposed to get raw material. This coach is supposed to get finished products and only fine-tune them with strategies.
Grace Seruwagi or Cuban legend Alcides Sagara excelled not because they were geniuses but because of solid structures that churned out super fighters.
This success largely had to do with deliberate and sustained campaigns to keep even the village coach up to date with modern training trends and scoring systems.
So, UABF had better focus in the right direction.
jbakama@newvision.co.ug