Boxers light up Gaborone
Mar 25, 2004
UGANDA’S boxing qualification campaign for the Athens Olympics has again proved that investment and proper planning pay.
By Samson Opus
UGANDA’S boxing qualification campaign for the Athens Olympics has again proved that investment and proper planning pay.
The Bombers, who had over a month’s preparation courtesy of the Ezra Boxing Board (EBB), were arguably one of the best sides at the recent Africa Championship in Gaborone.
No wonder Uganda wound up with not only two more qualifiers for the Athens Olympics, but also a near perfect record.
Out of Uganda’s entry of four fighters, only one light heavyweight Tony Sekabira failed to win a medal.
Mind you, this was all against opposition that had many of the 26 countries in Gaborone fielding large teams, but still not matching Uganda, which wound up among the top finishers.
Sekabira’s colleagues Sadat Tebazalwa struck gold while Sam Rukundo won silver boosting Uganda’s qualifiers for the Athens Olympics to five.
Teamwork was another factor crucial to Uganda’s performance.
Each of the team’s four officials had a role that cumulatively accounted for Uganda’s sparkle.
Coach Dick Katende and his aide Leo Rwabwogo continually bombarded the fighters with tips, team manager Johnson Kasajja was a one-man cheering machine while the boxers fought their hearts out.
Uganda’s vigour that for most week-long event silenced Gaborone’s Ditshupo hall, went into an even higher gear when news broke out on the last day that team sponsor Michael Ezra had arrived.
From then on, everyone seemed to want to out do the other, in being busy. The boxers suddenly acquired a killer instinct. The results are there for everyone to see.
Rukundo and Tebazalwa now join light flyweight Jolly Katongole, featherweight Martin Mubiru and middleweight Joseph Lubega who made it to the Athens list at previous qualifier in Morocco.
But while Uganda was celebrating, it was the opposite for the hosts.
Botswana had a four-year plan that included hiring a Cuban coach for the Athens project. But at the end of it all they had only two qualifiers to show.
But after a disastrous campaign in the All-Africa Games, the Bombers clawed back in Morocco and Botswana barely after four months since EBB pitched camp the boxers in Hima, Kasese.
With five boxers, Uganda now stands behind Algeria (8), Egypt (7) and Morocco (6).
The campaign for the Athens Games had assumed different proportions with countries hiring the services of renowned Cuban coaches.
But to, EBB vice chairman David Agong, it was not only the financial muscle from tycoon Michael Ezra that did the miracle in the qualifiers.
“We drew a good plan and worked very hard to implement it,†said Agong.
“These were the same boxers who failed in Nigeria but we intensively worked on them,†he added.
Botswana’s coach Roman Drake was among the Cubans drafted on the bench. Other countries that enlisted the Cuban help included Ethiopia, Madagascar and Seychelles.
But the Ugandan quartet that include bronze medalist Martin Mubiru (flyweight) and Tonny Sekabira (light heavy) stood out among the 106 boxers from 22 countries in the last continental showdown.
Lightweight Sam Rukundo produced a classic performance against the Cuban tact by outpointing Botswana’s Gilbert Khunwane 20-18.
The pressure forced the Botswana Zebras’ boxer to play against the rules by glaringly slapping consistently. In process, Rukundo picked up injuries in shoulder and ribs that denied him a gold medal in the final.
In similar fashion, Sadat produced golden punches that edged a cagey Eliss Chibuye (Zambia) in the final.
Rukundo had earlier on trimmed Swaziland’s Menjane Ngomane down to size when he led the quarterfinal 20-1 forcing the jury to stop the fight on the ‘mercy rule’.
Rukundo’s quarterfinal victory left Botswana Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) president Baeti Molake in uncontrollable gash tears and sobs as he rushed outside the arena.
Africa’s quota of 60 boxers for the Olympics was filled in Botswana where 18 pugilists joined the 20 that qualified in Morocco on top of the initial 22 at the Abuja Games.
UGANDA’S boxing qualification campaign for the Athens Olympics has again proved that investment and proper planning pay.
The Bombers, who had over a month’s preparation courtesy of the Ezra Boxing Board (EBB), were arguably one of the best sides at the recent Africa Championship in Gaborone.
No wonder Uganda wound up with not only two more qualifiers for the Athens Olympics, but also a near perfect record.
Out of Uganda’s entry of four fighters, only one light heavyweight Tony Sekabira failed to win a medal.
Mind you, this was all against opposition that had many of the 26 countries in Gaborone fielding large teams, but still not matching Uganda, which wound up among the top finishers.
Sekabira’s colleagues Sadat Tebazalwa struck gold while Sam Rukundo won silver boosting Uganda’s qualifiers for the Athens Olympics to five.
Teamwork was another factor crucial to Uganda’s performance.
Each of the team’s four officials had a role that cumulatively accounted for Uganda’s sparkle.
Coach Dick Katende and his aide Leo Rwabwogo continually bombarded the fighters with tips, team manager Johnson Kasajja was a one-man cheering machine while the boxers fought their hearts out.
Uganda’s vigour that for most week-long event silenced Gaborone’s Ditshupo hall, went into an even higher gear when news broke out on the last day that team sponsor Michael Ezra had arrived.
From then on, everyone seemed to want to out do the other, in being busy. The boxers suddenly acquired a killer instinct. The results are there for everyone to see.
Rukundo and Tebazalwa now join light flyweight Jolly Katongole, featherweight Martin Mubiru and middleweight Joseph Lubega who made it to the Athens list at previous qualifier in Morocco.
But while Uganda was celebrating, it was the opposite for the hosts.
Botswana had a four-year plan that included hiring a Cuban coach for the Athens project. But at the end of it all they had only two qualifiers to show.
But after a disastrous campaign in the All-Africa Games, the Bombers clawed back in Morocco and Botswana barely after four months since EBB pitched camp the boxers in Hima, Kasese.
With five boxers, Uganda now stands behind Algeria (8), Egypt (7) and Morocco (6).
The campaign for the Athens Games had assumed different proportions with countries hiring the services of renowned Cuban coaches.
But to, EBB vice chairman David Agong, it was not only the financial muscle from tycoon Michael Ezra that did the miracle in the qualifiers.
“We drew a good plan and worked very hard to implement it,†said Agong.
“These were the same boxers who failed in Nigeria but we intensively worked on them,†he added.
Botswana’s coach Roman Drake was among the Cubans drafted on the bench. Other countries that enlisted the Cuban help included Ethiopia, Madagascar and Seychelles.
But the Ugandan quartet that include bronze medalist Martin Mubiru (flyweight) and Tonny Sekabira (light heavy) stood out among the 106 boxers from 22 countries in the last continental showdown.
Lightweight Sam Rukundo produced a classic performance against the Cuban tact by outpointing Botswana’s Gilbert Khunwane 20-18.
The pressure forced the Botswana Zebras’ boxer to play against the rules by glaringly slapping consistently. In process, Rukundo picked up injuries in shoulder and ribs that denied him a gold medal in the final.
In similar fashion, Sadat produced golden punches that edged a cagey Eliss Chibuye (Zambia) in the final.
Rukundo had earlier on trimmed Swaziland’s Menjane Ngomane down to size when he led the quarterfinal 20-1 forcing the jury to stop the fight on the ‘mercy rule’.
Rukundo’s quarterfinal victory left Botswana Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) president Baeti Molake in uncontrollable gash tears and sobs as he rushed outside the arena.
Africa’s quota of 60 boxers for the Olympics was filled in Botswana where 18 pugilists joined the 20 that qualified in Morocco on top of the initial 22 at the Abuja Games.