Uganda Boxing Federation boss wants bigger share of sports budget

RITAH TUGUMISIRIZE

The National Council of Sports has responded to Uganda Boxing Federation, (UBF) president Moses Muhangi’s statements that football’s governing body, Fufa, rigs out other federations of a reasonable share of the government cake.

Moses Muhangi  had earlier said that Fufa had duped government into giving them a huge portion of the money allocated for sport, yet football has not won the country anything.

Muhangi said disciplines like boxing, basketball, netball and athletics that have brought the country medals are getting peanuts.

"Government has approved 17.4 billion for the support of sports federations, this money is meant to benefit all sports organs including FUFA, UBF, basketball, Atheltics netball among others. The money is meant to give us the basis on operation but what has been happening is the tendency of FUFA claiming more funding than any other federations, forexample they get 2billions per quarter while UBF gets 125 millions, that kind of mathematics  doesnt make sense to me, as a president of a federation whose athletes are making the country proud,"said UBF president.

He added, "FUFA claims football is the most popular sport and have more expenses and that why they should get more funding equalling to 10billion against other federations but thats something i dont agree with, what makes them a popular sport? because success for any sport means you are able to compete and win medals for the country but FUFA has never won any trophy, any medal but their success is only qualifying yet other fedrations like Basketball, Boxing and Netball qualify, bring medals and trophies thus putting Uganda on the map.

Federation of Uganda Football Association Executive member Rogers Byamukama said that medals alone are not the significance of success rather what the team adds to the country including taxes, tourism promotion among others.

"Being successful in sport doesnot mean winning medals and trophies alone but what you add to the country matters. When clubs and the national teams play on the international levels, they are already raising the country's flag, when those international visitors come for football and foreign clubs that come to play in Uganda, they bring in foreign exchange and taxes through paying for their tickets, where they sleep, what they eat and transport among others, Rogers asserted"

We have worked for the money we get, we gave activities, FUFA has many activities that give them visibility and what calender activites has boxing given? you cant wake up today and demand for money from the  government without activities. The money he is talking about we gave the budget in January last year, where were they? we need to come together as an industry and look at things that challenge us and find solutions for them as an industry, but scribbling this federation againt the other federation will not take us any where," added Rogers Byamukama.

NCS' head of coporate communications, Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo explained the criteria used by NCS in deciding how much they allocate to each federation.

Dhakaba said the magnitude of activities that FUFA undertakes in a year, warrants their share of the cake.

"As NCS we understand Moses Muhangi's frustrations but the issue shouldnot be about how much FUFA gets, but increasing the sports budget. Previously, the government used to fund sports but not in a systematic and structured manner, A few years ago they agreed to fund sports directly, and we chose six sports that are being funded in Football, Boxing, Netball, Athletics, university Sports among others and they get some kind of funding from government, we would love a situation where all 48 sports federations get more money but the budget doesnot allow it, we need to lobby for more funds since currently we dont get everything we need from the government.

Fufa gets Shs 1 billion per quarter while boxing is allocated only Shs 125 million in the same period.