By Andrew Cohen Amvesi
ARUA
Farouk Daku, a Ugandan professional boxer based in the Netherlands has shifted attention to grooming and promoting talent back-home.
The four-time boxing champion who has been investing in boxing clubs in Kampala is now in Arua to also support local talent.
While addressing journalists at Hotel Pacific in Arua city on Wednesday, 10th January, 2024, Daku said he has purposely come to Arua to see how boxing can be developed in the region.
“There has not been boxing in West Nile but I was recently told that there is Arua city boxing club, they have been performing in Kampala, I always get so impressed that I must do something for them. You know, I supported all boxing clubs in Kampala like Kampala boxing club, Uganda boxing club, Golola boxing academy, Ssentamu Isaac boxing club and Dynamic boxing club. So, why not do the same for my own people in West Nile, I’m sure I will do it,” Daku, a born of Arua promised.
He, however, noted that there is need to construct a boxing ring in the region to avoid costs of hiring the facility from elsewhere for easy organization of regional championships in West Nile.
“We need to get a boxing ring to develop boxing in Arua. Without a ring, I must say it is the most difficult thing. Every time you would like to organize a tournament here, you must bring a ring from Kampala, do you know how much it costs to bring a ring from Kampala, it is a lot of money. The moment we will have our own ring here, things will be easier,” Daku said.
Daku observed that having a boxing ring within the region will make it easier to mobilize clubs from Terego, Ayivu and Koboko among others to come and fight for their own Arua boxing championship which is a good thing for boxing in the region.
Meanwhile, Daku appealed to upcoming boxers in the region to first love the sport, saying nobody can push one to succeed in the game without loving it.
“Boxing is a lonely sport, if I didn’t believe in myself as me, I wouldn’t make it. You just need to have trust in yourself, believe in yourself, you become one but if not so, you can’t go far because you may go to the gym and meet the coach but the coach can’t come to your home and knock to say you know what, it is time you go for running. It must be you to program yourself,” Daku advised.
Muhamad Okulega, the Arua city boxing club coach commended Daku for coming home to support boxing.
He said Daku came at the time the club was facing numerous challenges including financial hurdles in trying to promote young boxing talent in the region.
When contacted on phone, Rasheed Osino, the Arua city boxing club chairperson said boxing was one of the neglected games in the region that is now trying to pick up.
“We have been facing several challenges in promoting the game. First of all, when we came in, the game had no room in the city, it was football that had taken over the whole region. So, when we came, we realized there was talent in this particular field that also needed to be identified and promoted,” Osino said.
“Eventually, we started rejuvenating it and when it rejuvenated, there were several challenges. One, we had coaching challenges. The coaches we had lacked the required coaching skills to manage the boys and we have been relying on our former boxers who are not coaches but they had the experience in the field which they use to manage the players. We also have the challenge of the facility,” Osino said.
But according to Osino, the common challenge they are facing is lack of training equipment among other things which he believes Daku’s coming will help in solving some of them.
