Let the games begin...
Peace Proscovia led a jovial Ugandan contingent at the opening ceremony in Gold Coast. AFP PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Commonwealth Games. She Cranes captain Peace Proscovia leads Uganda’s smart contingent at the opening ceremony at the Games that have attracted 71 countries.
- Bombers will be in the fray but weight loss could cost Ssemuju, Miiro in Gold Coast.
KAMPALA.
David Ssemuju will be the first Ugandan boxer to enter the ring in Gold Coast on day one of the Commonwealth Games. But he has more to worry about himself than about his English opponent Luke McCormack.
Ssemuju went to Gold Coast as a middleweight but he is entered into light welterweight, meaning he has shed over nine kilograms, and the test to quickly adapt to the new weight division might begin or end against McCormack this afternoon.
Shedding off nine kilos obviously results in loss of energy and dehydration due to limited feeding, and hectic workouts. It sometimes causes nausea, all of which is a bad recipe for a bout.
Ssemuju (pic inset) did not answer our Facebook interview about how the weight changes have affected his preps and his expectations.
Lost bout
But for the record, he has been a welterweight for most of his amateur career, competing with the likes of Nasser Bukenya, Hamis Ssemakula, and lately 2017 African Champion Muzamir Kakande.
In March 2018 Ssemuju lost his welterweight test bout to his KCCA teammate Musa Shadir, and instantly moved up to middleweight—reaching the final in the Bingwa wa Mambingwa tournament in Tanzania. Moving two divisions down in just a week is likely to affect his mental preparedness in his first international tournament. Juma Miiro, who is one win away from the medal bracket, is in the same boat. He has for long been a flyweight, but he had to trim three kilos to fit in light flyweight division. Coach Lawrence Kalyango dodged the questions regarding the weight changes but he assured us that though they know nothing about their English opponent, they are ready for the challenge.
Since 2015, McCormack, 22, has won six of his last eight bouts in the Aiba World Series of Boxing
The drastic weight confusion emanated from the rift among the conflicting selecting arms. Outgoing federation president Kenneth Gimugu was initially the anchor of the selections, but on March 17 Gimugu informed Aiba that “politicians” who lacked the technical knowledge submitted a wrong list of boxers for the Games. Aiba might have looked the other way but Ssemuju and Miiro might bear the brunt.
UGANDA’s BOXING DUELS
Ssemuju vs. Luke McCormack (England)
Bashir vs. Dlamini (Swaziland)
Miiro vs. TBD
Shadir vs. TBD
Ssimbwa vs. Lukmon Lawal (Nigeria)
