Twelve Ugandan boxers secure medal bracket places at Africa Boxing Championship
The inaugural Africa Boxing Championship, under the new body Africa Boxing (AB) and World Boxing (WB), which is mandated to run and regulate Olympic boxing, kicked off on October 15 and will run until October 28 at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.
Uganda's light heavyweight Richard Kasujja (right) eliminates Tanzania's Abdul Mohamed Mayosa to storm into the semi-finals at the ongoing Africa Boxing Championship in Kenya
Africa Boxing Championship
October 15-28, Nairobi Kenya
Twelve boxers of the national boxing team, the Bombers, have punched their way into the medal bracket at the ongoing inaugural Africa Boxing Championship.
The development means they are all guaranteed at least bronze medals, which losing semi-finalists receive in boxing.
Uganda had initially fielded 18 boxers, including eight women, before middleweight Jesca Akello pulled out citing personal issues.
By yesterday evening, Bombers captain and light middleweight Ukasha Matovu, welterweight Innocent Amoko, flyweight Bruno Kakande and lightweight Fatuma Nabikolo had been eliminated.
Ukasha, Amoko and Kakande had a night to forget, all suffering 3-2 split-decision losses to Kenyans Boniface Magunde, Aloice Vincent and Kevin Maina respectively, while Nabikolo lost to Egypt's Rahma Mohamed.
Light heavyweight Richard Kasujja stopped Tanzania's Abdul Mohamed Mayosa in the second round, while middleweight Alfred 'Gorilla' Ojok unanimously defeated Angola's Benjamin Avelino.
Other Bombers in the medal bracket include cruiserweight Arafat Kibirige, super heavyweight Emmanuel Tabule, light flyweight Rashidah Naluwooza, flyweight Brenda Muduwa, featherweight Peninah Amoding, light welterweight Vanessa Nagawa, welterweight Erina Namutebi and heavyweight Diana Atwiine, who returned to the Bombers squad for the first time in eleven years.
By press time, featherweight Samuel Nsubuga had returned to the ring for his quarter-final clash with Algeria's Amin Zanaz.
Nsubuga was Uganda's first boxer in the ring at the championship, where he unanimously defeated Benin's Osias Agbotoney in the round of 16.