Wasswa Ssali (L) of Lukanga lands a left on Hassan Abdu of UPDF during the National Open Boxing Championship at Lugogo on Wednesday. Wasswa defeated the defending champion on points. Photo by Ismail Kezaala
KAMPALA- Lukanga Boxing Club looks on course to scoop the coveted Elites title as the National Opedn Boxing Tournament climaxes today at the MTN-Arena, Lugogo today.
After the quarterfinals, Lukanga had garnered 16 points, with six boxers still raising their flag. Cobap had 11 with four boxers; while UPDF and East Coast were tied on 9 points but the soldiers have four boxers standing.
It is against such statistics, that Zebra Ssenyange, Lukanga’s head coach is beaming with confidence. “We are standing tall so far and I think this time we are taking it (the Elites title),” he told Sunday Monitor. “We are strong and last year we just suffered injustice but this time we are even more determined. We can only fail if four of our remaining fighters are beaten, which I think is hard.”
Lukanga’s campaign hinges on boxers like welterweight David Ochan, a 2015 beaten finalist, light fly Mike Katongole, a former national team boxer (Bomber) and youngster Wasswa Ssali, who stunned lightweight champion Abdul Hassan at the quarters.
However, Lukaga might rue the humiliating defeat of their most experienced boxer, Atanus Mugerwa, who lost to Kavuma’s youngster Adnan Yasin in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
Last year, the club’s patron Sam Lukanga led his team and stormed out of the Open final, before their rivals UPDF sealed the title. The act did rubbed the boxing federation the wrong way but Lukanga insisted he was protesting biased officiating which he claimed favoured UPDF and East Coast.
annasser@ug.nationmedia.com
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