International Competition

The improbable story of Kassim ‘The Dream’ Ouma, who was kidnapped in the north of Uganda at the age of six and forced to be a child soldier in the rebel army of Yoweri Museveni. Besides being taught to kill, he also learned to box. His ‘therapy,’ as he now calls it. By the time Ouma was 18, Museveni had already ascended to the presidency. It was then that Ouma went with the national boxing team to the United States for a championship and escaped. He had no money or connections and didn’t speak a word of English, but then he walked into a boxing school and the rest is history. Ouma was soon to become the Junior Middleweight Champion of the World. Although he has taken up permanent residence in the United States, his homeland continues to exert a force on him. Because of his escape, he hasn’t been able to return to Uganda, but he wants to give it another shot with diplomatic support from his adopted country.