By Samson Opus

The Uganda national boxing team —the Bombers, missed out on various international engagements last year, including the prestigious London Olympic Games as a result of administrative wrangles.

In 2010, the Bombers had missed out on the Commonwealth Games in India for the same raesons.

As it is, Uganda might still fail to send a team to the Commonwealth Games in Glascow next year as the world governing body AIBA has cancelled elections that would have ushered in a new executive.

The directive indefinitely puts off the Uganda amateur boxing elections originally slated for January and with it a chance to not only re-organise boxing in the country but prepare teams for major competitions.

Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) vice president (technical) Denis Galabuzi who confirmed the development yesterday said the elections can only go ahead with AIBA’s blessing.

He could not give any time frame for the elections.

“After we had done everything, somebody again wrote and confused AIBA. Otherwise everything had already been ironed out. Even the constitution has been approved,” lamented Galabuzi (pictured left), who heads the normalization exercise, yesterday.

AIBA had asked UOC to take charge of the electoral process to ensure normality returns last year.

This follows almost four years of persistent administrative wrangles that have crippled the sport.

Two factions have been claiming legitimacy to run the federation with Godfrey Nyakana leading one while Ntenge Sengendo fronts the other group.

Ugandan boxing has produced great fighters and immeasurable success over the years.

Ayub Kalule became the first Ugandan to win a world title in the professional ranks when he beat Japan’s Masashi Kudo in 1979 to take the WBA light middleweight crown.

Boza Edwards and John “The Beast” Mugabi later also won world titles by punching their way to World Boxing Council belts.

Kassim “The Dream” Ouma (IBF)and Jackson “Action” Asiku (IBO) are Uganda’s most recent world champions.