Five For Olympics

Mar 23, 2004

UGANDA’S boxing team to Athens will be the biggest since the introduction of an Olympic Games qualification quota in 1991 for the quadrennial games.

In Gaborone

UGANDA’S boxing team to Athens will be the biggest since the introduction of an Olympic Games qualification quota in 1991 for the quadrennial games.
Sam Rukundo (lightweight) and Sadat Tebazalwa (welter) at the weekend became Uganda’s latest qualifiers after punching their way into last night’s Africa Championship final in Gaborone.
Rukundo and Tebazalwa joined Jolly Katongole(l/fly), Brian Mayanja (feather) and Joseph Lubega (middle), who qualified in Morocco, to push Uganda’s qualifiers to five , one more than the Sydney Olympics team.
Uganda’s impressive run could have even been better if flyweight Martin Mubiru had not lost his semifinal to a Botswana pugilist.
Uganda together with Madagascar and the hosts topped the competition’s Olympic qualification list with two fighters each.
Rukundo, who narrowly missed qualifying for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and was cheated at a recent qualifier in Morocco, was this time all smiles after beating Botswana’s Gilbert Kouane 20-18 in Sunday’s semifinal. Tebazalwa then defeated Cameroon’s Welly Jankewo 27-22.
“Medals are good, but what is more important is Olympic qualification,” said a relieved coach Dick Katende.
Africa boxing chief Abdullah Bessalem was amongst those impressed by Uganda.
Bessalem commended Uganda’s technical team also featuring double Olympic medallist Leo Rwabwogo and team manager Johnson Kasajja for a job well done.
Kasajja is a one-man cheering machine here.
The team’s sponsor Michael Ezra could also not hide his pleasure. “I am impressed,” said Ezra yesterday shortly after arrival in Botswana for the finals.
He later hosted the team for dinner at Gaborone’s Grand Palm Resort and Casino.
The Bombers return later today.

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