Welterweight Muzamir ‘King Kong’ Kakande won his final fight on Sunday as Uganda ended the AIBA African Boxing Championships in Congo Brazzaville with a gold and two silver medals.
It is Uganda’s first gold in a major boxing tournament in 13 years.
Uganda national champion Kakande beat Mauritian Merven Clair on points and is one of three Ugandan boxers who booked their place in the World Boxing Championships due in Hamburg in August.
All semi-finalists at the African continental event qualify.
The 19th AIBA World Boxing Championships will he held in the German city of Hamburg.
Hamburg will host the world’s top 280 elite male boxers for the first time in the new Olympic cycle to Tokyo 2020. Qualification for Hamburg comes in the form of the various AIBA Continental Championships held in May and June.
Kakande’s gold was the first for Uganda since 2004, when Light-fly Jolly Katongole won the African 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Super heavyweight David ‘The Dragon’ Ayiti and Bantamweight Geoffrey Kakeeto settled for silver medals after they lost their final fights Sunday.
Kakeeto fell to another Mauritian Jordy Vadamootoo on points in the 56kg category.
Uganda entered a team of 9 boxers.
At the last edition in 2015 , five of eight Ugandans reached the semis, with four qualifying for the World Championship in Doha, Qatar. Uganda managed 5 bronze medals.
Source: The Independent
