‘Tiger Woods’ Birungi wins first boxing fight

By Phillip Corry and samson opus THREE-TIME Uganda Open golf champion Stephen “Tiger Woods” Birungi started his amateur boxing career with a bang last evening when he stormed the semi-finals of the national junior open. Birungi, fighting for Basajjabalaba Hides and Skins club, beat Isaac Semakula of Kampala Citizen Secondary school at Lugogo Indoor Stadium. The lanky golfer-turned-southpaw-boxer fighting out from the red corner used his left jabs and left upper cuts effectively to end the contest with a unanimous points decision. “I feel okay and ready for my next opponent,” Birungi said after his debut fight. “My target is to win the title,” remarked Birungi. Birungi is serving a one year ban by the Uganda Golf Union for tampering with his scorecard in the JBG tournament last year at Entebbe Golf Club. He won Uganda golf’s top event in 1997, 1998, 1999. City SS and Kasubi took an early lead in the absence of defending champions Lukanga who opted out because of UABF wrangles. The national schools champions garnered 10 points ahead of Kampala Citizen SS. Kampala City Council (KCC) were third with six points. Results summary: Flyweight-M. Ssebi (KCC) bt F. Junior (Seguku), R. Lukyamuzi (KBC) bt M. Otim (BHS) on pts, bantamweight-U. Mwanga (BHS) bt H. Mubiru (Kawempe)H. Nasur (KCC) bt S. Kyobe (K’la Citizen) on pts. Featherweight-T. Matsiko (Sparta) bt F. Kato (Masaka), M. Lubega (K’la Citizen) bt R. Waswa (Masaka SS) on pts, lightweight-N. Mujuzi (City SS) bt D. Okurut (Sparta), C. Lubega (Katwe) bt T. Wamoka (Sembabule), R. Sembooze (KCC) bt B. Kasule on pts. L/welter-R. Mwesigye (Masaka) bt J. Seruwagi. ends