True bombers
Jan 21, 2004
JOLLY Katongole and Brian Mayanja put up a glowing semi-final show here on Tuesday night to qualify for the Athens Olympics .
By James Bakama
in Casablanca
Semi-finals
L/fly-J. Katongole bt H. Amara (Tunisia) 26-8
Fly-S. Mebarak (Algeria) bt M.Mubiru 27-10
Bantam-D.Munyaisa bt
A. Katongole 25-23
Feather-B. Mayanja bt
A. Mervin (Mauritius) 25-12
Light-T. Taher (Morocco) bt S.Rukundo 22-18
Middle-J. Lubega bt K. Nabil (Algeria) 20-16
Finals
Katongole v B.Redouane (Morocco)
Mayanja v S.Nejmaoui (Tunisia)
Lubega v G.Khotso (RSA)
JOLLY Katongole and Brian Mayanja put up a glowing semi-final show here on Tuesday night to qualify for the Athens Olympics .
Another Ugandan Joseph Lubega also qualified for the final but unlike his two team-mates, he was still awaiting yesterday’s final where boxers from the middleweight upwards had to emerge champions to make it to Athens.
But hardly had these wins warmed the Bombers on a cold night at the Muhammed VI complex than they were chilled by robbery of Sam Rukundo’s victory in a lightweight contest against Morocco’s Tasman Taher.
Katongole had earlier set Uganda on a winning start by proving too good for openly biased refereeing. The light fly, who until Monday’s fight was still enjoying the benefits of a bye, outclassed Tunisia's Hatim Amara 35-8.
The Algerian referee cautioned Katongole against what were evidently perfect punches. Sensing danger, Katongole engaged full attack with three-punch combinations, which by the final round had him in an unassailable lead.
Mayanja was again a slow starter. But when the southpaw finally lit up in the second round, there was never any doubt that he was destined for a unanimous win.
Next in the ring was Sweden-based Rukundo. It seemed like a foregone conclusion as the lightweight confidently strode to the arena.
He immediately sprung to action at the bell, unleashing bombs from both hands.One of these decked Taher a minute into the round.
The Moroccan was from then on the run and could have been knocked out had it not been for the Cameroonian referee to always intervene with inexplicable cautions for the Ugandan whenever Taher staggered.
The Ugandans just like fellow other Southern African boxers who had seen the fight as an outright win for Rukundo were shocked when the results indicated otherwise.
Ironically AIBA Vice President Maj.Gen. Francis Nyangweso, a Ugandan who presides over the jury, had a varying view.
“Rukundo took too long to score. And even when he started, his punches always ended on the opponent’s guard,†said the veteran administrator who is also an IOC executive member.
But Nyangweso seemed to stammer when The New Vision cited the several punches that rocked the Moroccan.
The Bombers launched an appeal with the mandatory $100 (sh194,000) complaint fee but later withdrew it after realising that it was the same jury that had ruled against Rukundo that would handle the case.
Flyweight Martin Mubiru gave Uganda her first loss at the penultimate stage when he was out-pointed by Algeria's Soltani Mebarak.
Attanus Mugerwa later put up a tough fight but the effort was short of upsetting his jinx opponent David Munyaisa from Kenya.
Team captain Lubega was in good form as he out gunned Algeria's Kassel Nabil to set the stage for a battle with South Africa’s Khotso for the sole middleweight slot.
in Casablanca
Semi-finals
L/fly-J. Katongole bt H. Amara (Tunisia) 26-8
Fly-S. Mebarak (Algeria) bt M.Mubiru 27-10
Bantam-D.Munyaisa bt
A. Katongole 25-23
Feather-B. Mayanja bt
A. Mervin (Mauritius) 25-12
Light-T. Taher (Morocco) bt S.Rukundo 22-18
Middle-J. Lubega bt K. Nabil (Algeria) 20-16
Finals
Katongole v B.Redouane (Morocco)
Mayanja v S.Nejmaoui (Tunisia)
Lubega v G.Khotso (RSA)
JOLLY Katongole and Brian Mayanja put up a glowing semi-final show here on Tuesday night to qualify for the Athens Olympics .
Another Ugandan Joseph Lubega also qualified for the final but unlike his two team-mates, he was still awaiting yesterday’s final where boxers from the middleweight upwards had to emerge champions to make it to Athens.
But hardly had these wins warmed the Bombers on a cold night at the Muhammed VI complex than they were chilled by robbery of Sam Rukundo’s victory in a lightweight contest against Morocco’s Tasman Taher.
Katongole had earlier set Uganda on a winning start by proving too good for openly biased refereeing. The light fly, who until Monday’s fight was still enjoying the benefits of a bye, outclassed Tunisia's Hatim Amara 35-8.
The Algerian referee cautioned Katongole against what were evidently perfect punches. Sensing danger, Katongole engaged full attack with three-punch combinations, which by the final round had him in an unassailable lead.
Mayanja was again a slow starter. But when the southpaw finally lit up in the second round, there was never any doubt that he was destined for a unanimous win.
Next in the ring was Sweden-based Rukundo. It seemed like a foregone conclusion as the lightweight confidently strode to the arena.
He immediately sprung to action at the bell, unleashing bombs from both hands.One of these decked Taher a minute into the round.
The Moroccan was from then on the run and could have been knocked out had it not been for the Cameroonian referee to always intervene with inexplicable cautions for the Ugandan whenever Taher staggered.
The Ugandans just like fellow other Southern African boxers who had seen the fight as an outright win for Rukundo were shocked when the results indicated otherwise.
Ironically AIBA Vice President Maj.Gen. Francis Nyangweso, a Ugandan who presides over the jury, had a varying view.
“Rukundo took too long to score. And even when he started, his punches always ended on the opponent’s guard,†said the veteran administrator who is also an IOC executive member.
But Nyangweso seemed to stammer when The New Vision cited the several punches that rocked the Moroccan.
The Bombers launched an appeal with the mandatory $100 (sh194,000) complaint fee but later withdrew it after realising that it was the same jury that had ruled against Rukundo that would handle the case.
Flyweight Martin Mubiru gave Uganda her first loss at the penultimate stage when he was out-pointed by Algeria's Soltani Mebarak.
Attanus Mugerwa later put up a tough fight but the effort was short of upsetting his jinx opponent David Munyaisa from Kenya.
Team captain Lubega was in good form as he out gunned Algeria's Kassel Nabil to set the stage for a battle with South Africa’s Khotso for the sole middleweight slot.