‘Red Bull’ Matumla demands for air travel
Mar 21, 2007
TANZANIAN boxer Hassan “Red Bull†Matumla will only fight Badru Lusambya if his travel to and from Uganda is by air.
By James Bakama
Sunday
ABU title defence
Fairway Hotel, Kampala
B.Lusambya v H. Matumla
TANZANIAN boxer Hassan “Red Bull†Matumla will only fight Badru Lusambya if his travel to and from Uganda is by air.
Matumla, in a surprise demand on Tuesday, told the Kampala fight organisers to secure him and trainer Selemani Bakari return air tickets.
“He has said he is not the kind to travel 1,149km from Dar es Salaam to Kampala by road for a fight,†disclosed promoter Emmanuel Mwesigwa yesterday.
A disappointed Mwesigwa said bus tickets had already been bought. “Out of the blue, he (Matumla) comes up with another condition. We have no option but to look for funds and buy the air tickets.
“He has thrown us off balance,†noted Mwesigwa after getting the news from Dar es Salaam.
But Lusambya 15 (14)0-0 is not moved by Matumla’s demands. “Even if he flies directly into the ring, he’ll still be beaten,†said Lusambya at his Kampala Boxing Club gym yesterday.
Matumla 12 (8) 5-0 will be challenging the Africa Boxing Union super welterweight champion in a 12-round fight at Fairway Hotel in Kampala.
He is one of Tanzania’s high-profile fighters. He currently holds the East Africa title and has challenged for the Commonwealth and Oceania Pacific titles.
Tanzanian and Kenyan boxers, who have featured in events in Kampala, have always travelled by road.
Sunday
ABU title defence
Fairway Hotel, Kampala
B.Lusambya v H. Matumla
TANZANIAN boxer Hassan “Red Bull†Matumla will only fight Badru Lusambya if his travel to and from Uganda is by air.
Matumla, in a surprise demand on Tuesday, told the Kampala fight organisers to secure him and trainer Selemani Bakari return air tickets.
“He has said he is not the kind to travel 1,149km from Dar es Salaam to Kampala by road for a fight,†disclosed promoter Emmanuel Mwesigwa yesterday.
A disappointed Mwesigwa said bus tickets had already been bought. “Out of the blue, he (Matumla) comes up with another condition. We have no option but to look for funds and buy the air tickets.
“He has thrown us off balance,†noted Mwesigwa after getting the news from Dar es Salaam.
But Lusambya 15 (14)0-0 is not moved by Matumla’s demands. “Even if he flies directly into the ring, he’ll still be beaten,†said Lusambya at his Kampala Boxing Club gym yesterday.
Matumla 12 (8) 5-0 will be challenging the Africa Boxing Union super welterweight champion in a 12-round fight at Fairway Hotel in Kampala.
He is one of Tanzania’s high-profile fighters. He currently holds the East Africa title and has challenged for the Commonwealth and Oceania Pacific titles.
Tanzanian and Kenyan boxers, who have featured in events in Kampala, have always travelled by road.