National Open Boxing Championship

April 22nd-27, Lugogo.

Lukanga Boxing Club’s campaign to defend this year’s National Open Boxing Championship started on a good note when they unanimously floored many of their opponents.

The seven-day championship boxed off on Monday, April 22 with real action and climaxes on Saturday, April 27 at MTN Arena, Lugogo in Kampala.

Of the 560 official entries coming from 40 clubs, 490 are male boxers.

They are joined by 70 women all roaring to punch their weight to the final and book their ticket to the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) top-tier league, the UBF Boxing Champions League.

Like the usual song, Lukanga BC started day one on a high note and is vowing to defend their crown for a fourth straight time.

Twaibu Mayanja, a brother to the late Zebra Ssenyange who is Lukanga Boxing Club’s head coach says they are happy with a strong team that is unrivalled.

“We are ready to defend our crown again and with no doubt we are going to make it," Mayanja told Vision Sports

“We always come into this National Open while already in the leading pack. Our opponents can only afford to be chasers, not our competitors.”

The return of Lukanga BC’s captain, Owen ‘Matrix’ Kibira to fight at the national open level, adds an ice on the cake to their campaign to defend the title.

Kibira, a 2022 Africa Boxing Championship bronze medalist and a 2022 Commonwealth Games quarter-finalist has been boxing in the UBF Boxing Champions League.

His switch from the welterweight where he has been rivaling Ukasha Matovu to Light Middleweight that was vacated by Isaac Zebra Ssenyange Jr and Muzamir Ssemuddu means he had to come return and box at the Open level.

Ssenyange Jr joined the professional on December 29, 2023, as Ssemuddu is soon going to the United States for advanced training.

According to the UBF Boxing Champions League rules, any boxer who opts to change weight,/she must return and start afresh in the Open.

Lukanga’s through middleweight Arafat Sematya who unanimously defeated COBAP’s Wilson Mwanje, lightweight Mathias Kyeyune, lightweight Reagan Magumba, featherweight Leone Kiggundu and others gave the Najjanankumbi-based side a perfect start.