Captain Shadir faces African silver medallist

KAMPALA.

“I don’t fear whites, I have beaten some of them at our gym,” Musa Shadir Bwogi told us as he packed his bags for the Gold Coast trip exactly two weeks ago.
Shadir, Uganda’s national boxing captain, was answering our questions on his expectations in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, this being his first tournament outside Africa. But if Shadir is to face any white boxer, he has to first deal with a familiar opponent - Mauritian Merven Clair, who bagged a silver medal at the 2017 African Championships in Congo-Brazzaville.
Shadir has an idea about Clair’s ‘work’. He must have seen him boxing in the African final when the Mauritian lost to Uganda’s Muzamir Kakande by split decision. Kakande vacated the national welterweight slot to try his luck in the German Bundesliga.

Gifted and lively
In Brazzaville, Shadir lost in the preliminaries to Namibia’s Jonas Junias, a 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist. In Gold Coast Shadir, a gifted and lively southpaw is Uganda’s top medal prospect, even before compatriot David Ssemuju lost his welterweight bout to England’s Luke McCormack on Day One.
Shadir got a bye to the Round of 16, so defeating Clair, who outclassed Ghana’s Abubakari Quartey in Round of 32, would surely be sign of intent.
Earlier Saturday, 2014 quarterfinalist Nassir Bashir faces Swaziland’s youngster Zweli Dlamini in bantamweight. On Monday Reagan Simbwa faces experienced Nigerian Lukmon Lawal in light heavyweight while light flyweight Juma Miiro is a win away to the medal bracket. He begins Tuesday.

UGANDANS IN ACTION
Boxing Men’s 56kg Round of 16 - 6.17am
Nassir Bashir vs Zweli Dlamini [Swaziland]
Boxing Men’s 69kg Round of 16 - 1.30pm
Musa Shadir Bwogi vs Merven Clair [Mauritius]
Venue: Oxenford Studios