Many Uganda youths would have loved to undertake weightlifting a sport but lack of equipment, training and facilities, many weightlifting clubs are barely surviving. But as Alfred Odong writes, the youths are looking to tap other benefits of weightlifting now, hoping that the sport will improve in the near future.
Having existed for close to three decades, Black Monster does not only lack professional equipment, sponsors but also has no first aid box. Athletes work out on a bare ground between buildings in the streets of Jinja. But this has not prevented the club from producing some of Uganda’s top weight lifters like Irene Ajambo.
Irene Ajambo, a product of Black Monsters Club
Black Monster was started in the early 1980s by Moses Wamoka now deceased. It started with bodybuilding and gymnastics but later turned to weightlifting, a sport that involves lifting heavy objects as a result of their constant admiration of the sport on television.
The head coach, Tom Senfuna who was part of the team in its initial stages says their aim then was to represent Uganda in the international competitions in which they were confident of excelling.
Senfuna however did not represent Uganda as a player though he was picked together with Ali Kavuma, Kutesa Kadu and Salim Musoke, prepared for championships hosted by South Korea in 1988 but was left for there was no adequate funds to cater for the full team’s air tickets and up keep.
But he put that disappointment behind him and decided to concentrate on continuing with weightlifting for himself and others. Tom Senfuna was all smiling through the interview as the athletes worked out with a lot of passion, cracking jokes, morale boosting each other while others were taking half shower in a bathroom that covers only up to one’s lower ribs.
If you visit this club, you will be confronted by a monster, a huge painting on a dirty wall that says much about the club search for greatness from mean circumstances.
The weight lifting club is located in a fifteen-ten meter space in a corridor between houses between Nizam road and Kutch Road in Jinja. The weightlifters converge and work out every Monday to Saturday. They build their bodies cracking jokes with a lot of enthusiasm as they move from one weight to another comprised of mostly motor vehicle wheel parts, and other worn out vehicle parts matched to cover up for different sizes.
For water, members who can afford buy themselves locally packed water going at Ushs 100 per packet.
Coach Senfuma says that their situation is not of any threat to the club’s existence because each and every member loves the weightlifting sport with recruits especially students during holidays keeping the club more lively.
The cvlub has even won some weight lifting trophies in Uganda. Black Monster currently holds two trophies, one for the national and the other of the inter-club championships.
But Senfuna believes that if the club is given a full set of weightlifting bars and benches, they will get to another level of performance and prominence as they will attract more members especially the youth most of whom (about 20) turn up daily during holidays with interest in taking up the sport. He says this will cost about 1.9 million shillings from Sweden, Hungary and the United States of America while the benches, which he estimated to cost 9 million shillings, can be purchased from Katumwa Sports Center.
When this reporter visited the club, 10 of the 20 weightlifters take part in wrestling, fighting by holding and trying to throw or force the opponent to the ground and 10 in bodybuilding.
Despite the club’s needy situation, it has discipline as a priority not only at club premises but most importantly a requirement of its members when in public. “Some of our members like Muduli and Peter were expelled from the club when they became street fighters and were threatening the club’s image and good reputation,” Senfuma says.
He says that it is such measure that saved the club from the suspecting business community when burglars were rampantly breaking into their shops and Jinja police criminal investigation department never implicated any of their members.
Irene Ajambo who made it from the club as a national weight lifter in an interview with Ultimate Media says the Black Monster club would do a lot better if they secure professional bars, weights and stands to match international standards or at least their counterparts in Nakivubo and those at BMK weightlifting clubs.
Ajambo says she has been talking to friends she got on international meets like the Commonwealth and Olympic games but positive results are yet to be realized.
The General Secretary of the Uganda Weightlifting Federation, Salim Musoke says all the weightlifting clubs are needy but the federation will go on to innovate ways of helping the weightlifting clubs become better.
Musoke argues that the biggest problem with most clubs more so the Black Monster is that the people in the region, Jinja have not given a hand. “Even those athletes who have had exposure, gone for international meets do not get back to assist those back at their home clubs with techniques,” he said in an interview.
But the district sports officer for Jinja district, Patrick Lukalu tells Ultimate Media the problem is clubs failed to get sponsors and that the leadership of such associations have failed to realize that the day to day running of the club is entirely their role.
“Helping them is a national call. We will always give assistance when need arises but at times resources are limited making us unable to cater for all,” Lukalu says.
“Up to date, clubs cannot afford to pay a 2000 participation fee per head but will turn up only to plead not only to be allowed to take part but to be provided with meals and transport either in form of fuel or money back home,” argues Musoke.
He says he has got a friend from United Arab Emirates Weightlifting Federation, Suresh Pai who has promised to give help to weightlifters in Uganda get to international standards in terms of their preparation, techniques and exposure.
Musoke says Pai who is also a member of the International Weightlifting Federation will also provide nutrition in the form of food supplements which will be sold at subsidized prices and also be given free of charge to weightlifters who excel in the locally organized competitions. All these are expectations and promises that continue to lie beyond the realm of the Black Monsters weightlifting club. That is why many members of this club say they will continue exercising at their club since they are sure of the benefits.
As a sporting physical activity done for exercise and pleasure in a special arena, the activity of lifting heavy objects has become common in Uganda especially among the male youth mainly with purposes of fulfilling the urge of being appreciated for looking manly with a well built chest, hands, neck and thighs.
For others, weightlifting is for ensuring security for oneself by being physically fit to challenge dangers, while to some people, it is an investment so as to secure employment especially as bouncers in entertainment or recreational places where they man gates or guard against chaotic characters. Other than the personal benefits, one may easily get to be a weightlifter and take part in international competitions and earn fame and money from it, just like Irene Ajambo.
Uganda got affiliated to the International Weightlifting Federation in 1976 and took part in her first competition in April 4 11 in Alexandria, Egypt in 1979.
Today, the umbrella of the Uganda Weightlifting Federation despite the hardships is proud of steady growth of the sport with many clubs like Black Monster based in Jinja, Wabulenzi, Nakivubo, Kasubi, Physic, Kimenyende, Bwaise, Kobs, Kisugu, Bweyogerere among other weightlifting clubs. But most of these clubs like Black monster are looking to the future to bring them the better weightlifting training and opportunities.