Bombers finally settle for five

Mar 22, 2008

LIGHT-flyweight Ronald Serugo has been named Bombers captain ahead of the Olympic boxing qualifiers in Windhoek, Namibia next week.



Olympic qualifier
Windhoek, Namibia
March 23-30


LIGHT-flyweight Ronald Serugo has been named Bombers captain ahead of the Olympic boxing qualifiers in Windhoek, Namibia next week.

Serugo, part of a new crop of five Ugandan boxers Cuban coach Jimenez Gonzalez is grooming, leads the country’s last ditch bid to get a fighter into the Beijing Olympics.

Uganda got a set-back when three key boxers; Philip Adyak (fly), Sharif Bogere (lightweight) and Eddy Akora (light welter) vanished during the first attempt to qualify at the World Championships in Chicago, US last year.

The team that departs tomorrow includes US-based Ismail Muwendo (featherweight), the only boxer who remained in the first move.

Others are Edward Kakembo (fly), Alidina Muzei (bantam) and Medi Lubega (light welter).

“Preparation is a process which needs time. The most important thing is to qualify, there is enough time for the Olympics,” explained Gonzalez.

Although Gonzalez was at first pessimistic about Uganda’s chances, he now rates six boxers highly.

Cash-strapped Uganda Amateur Boxing Federation (UABF) finally named the team from the 18 boxers that have been under intensive training. NCS has offered sh2.5m to take an extra boxer, after a sh10m Pepsi-Cola boost that catered for the team’s training costs plus two tickets.

Muwendo’s trip has been sponsored by his American coach Scott Tolzmann.

UABF is headed by tycoon Roger Ddungu, who won the presidency on a popular promise that he would ensure the Bombers compete regularly in major events.

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