Uganda to field six fighters at GAMMA African Championship
The fighters earned their places with impressive performances at the GAMMA African Championship qualifiers held over the weekend at Kampala University, winning their respective bouts by stoppage.
Mixed martial arts fighters in action during the qualifying event at Kampala University. Photo by Gerald Kiulwe
Uganda will send six mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters to the GAMMA African Championship in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from October 12 to 16.
The fighters earned their places with impressive performances at the GAMMA African Championship qualifiers held over the weekend at Kampala University, winning their respective bouts by stoppage.
The qualifiers marked a historic moment for Uganda, which will send a team of fighters to the continental championship for the first time.
The qualified fighters are Nasser Abdul, Jonathan Nsubuga, Shafik Asuma, Paul Angara, Raymond Wanendeya and the only female representative, Suzan Akello, who competes in the women's flyweight division.
Abdul defeated Ali Oboyet by stoppage using a triangle technique in the youth under-17 flyweight category. Nsubuga overcame Ronald Okello through ground-and-pound in the welterweight division.
Asuma defeated South Sudan's Ding Chol by submission in the bantamweight category, while Wanendeya dominated South Sudan's Blacky Modol in the lightweight division. Angara also secured victory by submission against Allan Basubu in the flyweight category.
The Ugandan team has been training at a camp in Gaba for more than four months in preparation for the qualifiers and the continental championship.
Uganda's participation in the GAMMA African Championship represents a significant milestone for the country's developing MMA programme. The country was previously represented at the championship by Titus Tugume, who is now president of the Mixed Martial Arts Federation of Uganda. Tugume was Uganda's sole representative at the time.
Tugume welcomed the qualification of the six fighters but said the team still faces financial challenges ahead of the championship, particularly the cost of air tickets for the athletes and officials.
"I'm so excited that Uganda has qualified a number of fighters. We are still facing the challenge of securing air tickets for these fighters and the four officials, but we remain positive that well-wishers and the Government will come to our rescue," Tugume said.
The qualifying event attracted fighters from Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Nigeria, Rwanda and hosts Uganda, providing the Ugandan fighters with valuable international competition ahead of the continental championship.