By Leilah Bbaale
The proposed construction of a multipurpose sports arena donated by the Amateur International Boxing Academy-AIBA in Kampala has suffered a setback due to lack of land.
Early this year, AIBA donated the facility worth US$ 5million on request from Moses Muhangi, the President of Uganda Boxing Federation-UBF. AIBA tasked UBF to find suitable land to host the facility.
“The Academy is planned to be full-sized and equipped so that all potential boxers, officials and other stakeholders have access to its facilities. Moreover, the Academy will provide core and supporting programs to cover key areas and components: development courses for athletes, coaches, R&J, sport and competition managers,” the AIBA President, Umar Kremlev wrote in response to Muhangi’s request.
According to Muhangi, the Federation needs at least ten acres of land within the Kampala Metropolitan Area to host the facility. He revealed that despite writing to different institutions and associations to offer land, only Buganda Kingdom has responded.
Muhangi says that they await the response from other institutions they wrote to including the Central government, but the construction plans are already approved by AIBA.
The Arena will come as a relief and a game-changer for Uganda’s sports industry as it will create another option of an indoor stadium in the country.
Apparently, Uganda only depends on the MTN Arena in Lugogo. The other option is the incomplete Mak Arena in Makerere University.
