Ugandan hopes dashed after Muwendo’s exit

Oct 29, 2007

Uganda’s bid to have a boxer qualify for next year’s Olympics Games in Beijing ended disastrously on Monday night with featherweight Ismail Muwendo falling.

James Mayanja
in Chicago

Uganda’s bid to have a boxer qualify for next year’s Olympics Games in Beijing ended disastrously on Monday night with featherweight Ismail Muwendo falling.

Mexican Santos Reyes Arturo stopped Muwendo in the first round at the ongoing World Boxing Championships. Arturo won 22-2.
The championships are the first qualifiers. Other qualifiers are expected next year, with Uganda bidding to host one of them in Kampala.

Muwendo, who failed to utilise his long reach, was turned into a punching bag before referee Iancu Niculae stopped the contest after a one-sided minute of action.

Uganda had remained with two boxers in the competetion, Muwendo and Edward Akora after the disapearance of Phillip Adyak and Sharif Bogere.

The drama surrounding the dissapearance of the two Bombers continued yesterday, with Adyak calling the camp.

Adyak again telephoned his coach to apologise to all Ugandans for escaping without throwing a punch to go and do Kyeyo (manual work .

“He says he has Uganda at heart but the ecomonic situation could not allow him stay home,” Kent said.

* Uganda Amateur Boxing Federation has struck a deal with Minnesota-based Tolzmann’s Twin Cities Boxing Gym to train Muwendo and Akora for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

The two will stay longer in the US to benefit from the training in Minnesota.

The agreement was signed by UABF vice-president Dr. John Ntege Sengendo and the executive director of Tolzmann’s Scott Tolzmann.

Scott will work on the extention of the boxers’ visas. His plan is to retain them as professional boxers after the Olympics.

The deal will see the two boxers facilitated to return home and take part in an Olympic qualifier if Uganda is allowed to host the event.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});