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Ssenyange made history at the tournament by becoming the first Ugandan to win a match at the World Championships since 2007.
Isaac Zebra Ssenyange Jr, Uganda’s only representative at the 2023 IBA World Boxing Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, may return to Uganda without a medal to show for his effort, but with huge lessons learnt.
Despite not making it to the medal rounds, Ssenyange has gained valuable experience and is optimistic about his future prospects.
Ssenyange made history at the tournament by becoming the first Ugandan to win a match at the World Championships since 2007.
His victory came in a hard-fought match against Thodoris Ritzakis of Greece. However, in the Round of 32, Ssenyange was defeated by Georgian 2020 Olympian Eskerkhan Madiev.
Although Ssenyange started strong, his opponent quickly upped his aggression and kept the pressure on him.
Despite landing some heavy blows, Ssenyange failed to maintain his game plan and lost his discipline. This allowed Madiev to gain the upper hand, and he won the round unanimously.
Reflecting on his performance, Ssenyange said, "My game plan was a winner, but I failed to maintain it.”
“Madiev came swinging power shots, and I lost my discipline and started returning power shots early.”
“This gassed me out as I used a lot of energy in the first round. In the second round, I was slower in movement and reaction," he explained.
Despite the loss, Ssenyange expressed pride in his journey on the international stage and his growth over the past year as a member of Uganda's boxing team.
He credited his coach, Sujit Kumar from Nepal, for his success and said he had learned a lot from his trip to the World Championships.
Ssenyange believes there is still more to learn and is looking forward to the African Qualifiers where he is confident, he will perform better.
"Coach Sujit was able to analyze my style and found ways of making me perform even better," Ssenyange said.
"But mostly, our synchronization in the ring, where I was able to follow his pointers while fighting."
"There's more in the closet and more learning to do," he explained. "I've grown a lot from this trip and believe that in the African Qualifiers, I'm gonna show out."
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