Golola Moses urges Uganda to combine sports and tourism to promote next generation of fighters
- Seb Sternik
- 8 June 2023
Ugandan fighting legend Golola Moses wants to 'start promoting fighters' and grow the sport in East Africa.
Golola Moses is a popular kickboxer, pro boxer and a K1 champion who is turning his focus on bringing through the next generation of fighters in Uganda.
With hundreds of thousands of followers across his social media platforms, Moses has become an influential figure in the Pearl of Africa.
Despite many opportunities to fight in Europe, Moses has stuck with Uganda and is intent on growing the fight game not only across his home but the entirety of East Africa.
One major obstacle for the 43-year-old is the difficult economic situation in the region - one which could see a block of East African countries build a single currency in the near future.
"All Africans yearn to go to Europe, yearn to go to America, we yearn to go to Canada," Moses told Planet Sport. "We want to go there. Those people have made a strategy from sports.
"Here in Africa, you see these world champion fighters who come from Nigeria, South Africa. But me Gola Moses, I'm in East Africa. Uganda.
"One of my targets is to make East Africa a continent so that we can make our own belts.
"East Africa has countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, Rwanda, Congo is joining, Ethiopia is joining. These countries are all using different currencies.
"Our currency in Uganda is so small. There is a plan to have one currency which unites one East Africa, but we don't know when. We who survived, who benefited, we haven't got too much, but we have our peace."
Moses, who escaped the Ugandan ghettos to forge a career in sports, is intent on helping others do the same.
He said: "I've invested all my life and all my money into the sport. Not the government or any other organisation is supporting me. I came out of the ghetto, nobody knew me, nobody knew my family. But right now, my mother is a celebrity. My daddy died, but he became a celebrity.
"I have mentored different youths in different sports. Karate, footballers, I have made the youth believe that you can if you believe in yourself.
"I am in the campaign of nurturing, of looking for more champions. I'm moving through different regions [of Uganda]. Right now, I'm in northern Uganda. I'm one of the tourism ambassadors. I'm one of the influencers. We came to explore, to show the world that northern Uganda has peace, it has different nature.
"I want to combine tourism and sports. I want to start grooming sports in different regions. Every region has its language, has character. I want to start promoting kingdoms, I want to start promoting fighters. I want to use all skills to see that I promote the fighters.
"Fighters are not many. Those who are coming up to be champions, let us give them the respect."
Photo Credit: Golola Moses Facebook Page
