Cash The Trick As Old Glory Sought

Apr 28, 2004

KAMPALA - The late Idi Amin used to give Uganda’s boxers characteristically blunt advice.<br>

KAMPALA - The late Idi Amin used to give Uganda’s boxers characteristically blunt advice.

“Always aim at killing your opponents and see if any biased referee can reverse the results,” the dictator would say, proudly recalling his own nine-year run as the army’s heavyweight champion.

Whatever their inspiration, Amin’s fighters made the 1970s the heyday of Ugandan boxing, flooring opponent after opponent to reap a crop of medals at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

The intervening two decades have seen an Olympic medal drought.

But in August Uganda plans to spearhead Africa’s boxing challenge at the Athens Games thanks to an equally enthusiastic patron with the resources to promote excellence in the ring.

Tycoon Michael Ezra is offering a new generation of fighters the kind of wealth most Ugandans can only dream of, in return for success at the August 13-29 Games.

“I will reward boxers with fabulous cash prizes and properties as long as they bring home medals,” Ezra said.

In a country where few earn more than $1 a day, the rewards are startling: a gold medallist will earn a three-bedroomed, fully-furnished home in any of the top posh Kampala suburbs.

In addition an Olympic champion can expect a brand new car and $30,000, while a silver medallist will get $20,000.

The team is made up of light/flyweight Jolly Katongole, featherweight Brian Mayanja, welterweight Sadat Tebazalwa, lightweight Sam Rukundo and middleweight Joseph Lubega.

They booked tickets for Athens at a qualifying tournament in Tunisia, and at the Africa boxing championships in Gaborone, Botswana.

At least some of their success is attributable to Ezra’s decision last year to start sponsoring the team, nicknamed the Bombers.

He pays the five boxers stipends of 500,000 Uganda shillings ($260) each a month. Boxers no longer look at it as a part-time sport for school dropouts, but as a career.

Before Ezra, things were very different. Boxing authorities not only lacked funds for talent-spotting, training and international exposure but also for towels, jerseys, shorts and gum shields.

Boxers instead had to share them.
Team captain Lubega says training has been transformed.

“You can never concentrate on training hard if you are not sure of your next meal,” said the 23-year-old taxi driver. “We used to starve at Lugogo Indoor stadium with no meals. We would train on empty stomachs.”

Lubega, a father of two who lives in a two-roomed house with no running water, said sponsorship had been the missing link.

The late bantamweight Eridad Mukwanga was the first Ugandan to win an Olympic medal — a silver at Mexico in 1968. Flyweight Leo Rwabwogo won bronze the same year, going on to win silver in Munich in 1972.

Rwabwogo won silver in Munich, and welterweight John “The Beast” Mugabi won silver in Moscow in 1980.

The tiny East African country, African champions at the time, even dented Cuba’s triumphant record at home when light-welterweight Ayub Kalule scooped gold at the 1974 world championships in Havana.

Coach Dick Katende said that with reliable backing from Ezra the Bombers were now ready to “die” for their country in Athens.

Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) vice president Francis Nyangweso, said Ezra’s sponsorship was timely.

“The National Council of Sports and government had failed to secure funds — then Ezra emerged in time to salvage the country,” he said.

Reuters

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