How club politics may affect performance of boxers in Nakuru
Joshua Mwangi, poses for a photo after the interview in Nakuru city.
Recently, Nakuru Amateur Boxing Club has witnessed conflict between the management and the coaches and some boxers in the club.
The boxers were up in arms protesting over the management's interference with their latest league tournament held in Nanyuki.
While the management on their end noted the boxers had contravened the club rules. Adding that the club runs under a constitution which must be adhered to.
Joshua Mwangi, a former boxer, notes that wrangles can have several negative effects that impact both individual boxers and the club as a whole.
He notes that when there's an ongoing conflict, boxers may feel demotivated, which can lead to a decrease in their enthusiasm for training and competing.
"Boxing requires intense focus, but conflicts can be distracting and cause the boxers to lose concentration, which may affect their performance both in training and in the ring," he says.
Mwangi further adds that wrangles between coaches, athletes, or staff can break trust within the club.
"If fighters feel their coaches are not on the same page with them, they might feel there’s favouritism. They may question their support system which may affect their performance in the long run," he highlights.
He notes that conflicts can lead to inconsistent training sessions or even skipped sessions if the environment becomes tense, which he says disrupts boxers' progress and development, affecting the entire club's competitiveness.
Additionally, when boxers do not perform in tournaments, they reduce their chances of getting scouted to join national teams.
He adds that conflicts make the boxers and coaches want to leave the club, leading to instability and a lack of continuity, which might lead to the club closing.
Mwangi advises that to prevent these issues, a boxing club should encourage open communication, set clear guidelines for behaviour, and encourage a culture of respect and unity, putting in place conflict resolution strategies to help de-escalate issues before they get out of hand.