Bombers coach Kent is dead

By Swalley Kenyi

NATIONAL Boxing team Bombers coach Musa Kibirige Kent is dead. The Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) legendary boxer turned coach died at Mulago hospital last night.

Although his health has been deteriorating lately, Kent has been actively handling the Bombers and his last national duty was at the All Africa Games where he guided light flyweight boxer Ronald Serugo to win a bronze medal in Maputo, Mozambique.

The cause of his death could not be readily established but his longtime colleague Aciga Fura said that Kent had complained of being unwell few days ago.

Kent, who boxed as lightweight boxer was known for his hard fighting spirit both at club and national team levels way back in the days of Uganda Army in 1970s.

At the time of his death he was the UPDF head coach where he has groomed a number of prominent Ugandan boxers at amateur and professional ranks.

Former World junior middleweight Champion Kassim Ouma, Juma Ayiro and Robert Kamya are among the professional boxers, who he nurtured at UPDF while he was assistant coach to his successor Dick Katende.

After a decade in that capacity, Kent replaced Katende in the top Bombers job to guide the Bombers team in the Africa Zone Five Championship in Egypt in 2007.

“I feel happy. The appointment is an opportunity for me to implement ideas I learnt in courses I have attended,” the UPDF soldier, who spent most of his career around boxing rings said then.

He is expected to be buried in Gayaza near Kampala.