Uganda Boxing Federation president Moses Muhangi has high hopes in the boxers chosen to represent the country at the 2023 Africa Elite Men and Women boxing Championships, due July 25 -to August 6 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Muhangi says that a team of six female and 11 male boxers were carefully selected based on their performance in the Uganda Boxing Champions League.
“We have very high hopes they will bring home medals,” Muhangi said before adding.
“They are all champions in their respective weights, and we have high hopes they will win medals. We are giving priority to female boxers to empower them”, he added.
UBF preferred 18-year-old Kassim Mulungi, a featherweight from City High School, over Jonathan Kyobe, a bronze medalist at last year’s Africa Championships in Maputo, Mozambique.
Bronze medalist from Maputo, Yusuf Nkobeza, also did not make the team.
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The national boxing team, the Uganda Bombers, have started residential training in Buloba, Wakiso District, ahead of the 2023 Africa Elite Men's and Women's Championships.
Muhangi argued that they selected boxers according to their current form: “The Uganda Boxing Federation Champions League has helped us to eliminate a series of trials.”
“It was a fair and transparent process because no boxer in their respective category can claim to defeat them by a Knockout.”
19:20 - 09.07.2023
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The Bombers team will consist of 17 pugilists, including 11 men and six women, who will compete against the best athletes from across the continent.
“The new ones are going to get valuable experience and lessons while the experienced boxers are going to perfect their craft,” Muhangi added.
Tukamuhebwa will lead a team that also has Ukasha Matovu (welterweight), silver medalist at the 2018 AFBC Youth Championships, Idriss Mukiibi (light-heavyweight) and Solomon Geko (super-heavyweight)
The rest of the newcomers are Joseph Kalema (minimumweight), Ssali Wasswa (lightweight), Muzamir Semmudu (light-middleweight), Ronald Okello (middleweight), Lawrence Kayiwa (cruiserweight) and James Baraka (super-heavyweight).
Women debutants are Grace Nakinga (light-flyweight), Naddia Najjeme (bantamweight), Sharua Ndagire (featherweight), Zahara Nandawula (lightweight) and Erina Namutebi (light-welter).