East Coast Boxing Club protests against KCCA

East Coast Boxing Club management is up in arms against KCCA for allegedly illegally snatching their boxers.

The city hall authorities recently opened a fully-fledged boxing club-drafting some of the most promising boxers in their fold.

Four out of the seven boxers including coach Hussein Khalil who have been drafted on KCCA payroll are from the Naguru side.

In a lengthy protest letter to KCCA, East Coast BC secretary Paul Ayiasi demanded 'adequate compensation' for the flyweight Mohamed Kassim, bantam Nasir Bashir, middleweight Reagan Ssimbwa, light welterweight Shadir Musa Kimera.

However, there are currently no regulations governing the transfer of boxers among clubs under the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF).

But Ayiasi insists that the KCCA move is tantamount to killing the Naguru club. "We have invested a lot of resources to develop these boxers so our clubs need compensation," Ayiasi said.

But former East Coast coach Khalil says the protest is in bad faith. "This is very unfair. I have been suffering alone trying to meet the needs of these boxers from my own pocket. Nobody has been helping these boxers," he said.

However KCCA head coach Vincent Byarugaba promised to sort the matter 'on humanitarian grounds'.

"There are no rules regarding transfer of boxers. However, we are ready to settle this matter amicably on humanitarian grounds," he said.