Businge battles 2012 Olympian

KAMPALA- Uganda’s light flyweight champion, Champion Businge, faces Mozambique’s Juliano Maquina today at the Al Amal Indoor Sports Center in Rabat.
Both fighters got byes into the flyweight [52kg] and are fresh for action. Businge must even be fresher because instead of watching his feeding to maintain his 49kg in flyweight, he needed to just relax, to fit in the 52kg category.

Businge is on his continental debut but if he overcomes Maquina, a 2012 Olympian, he could face Kenya’s Shaffi Bakari, who Juma Miiro beat to bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Otherwise, he could face Morocco’s 22-year old Said Mortaji, who has lost four and won four of his eight amateur bouts.

In today’s second preliminaries of the featherweight division [57kg], Isaac Masembe makes his continental debut against DR Congo’s Rocky Bukasa, who defeated Nigeria’s Yusuf Adenji Adisa 3-2 on Thursday.
In the women’s featherweight (57kg) preliminaries, Uganda’s Jalia Nali faces 19-year old Amondine Ndarata of Central African Republic. Nali won gold at the inaugural East African Games in Burundi last year, but the girl from Busia has never been in any continental event.

Elsewhere
In the pool at the Olympic Swimming Pool-Mohammed V Sports Complex, Ambale Atuhaire and Rebecca Sengonzi will feature in the 50m freestyle Heats. Atuhaire will also compete in the men’s 100m backstroke Heats.

In badminton at the Ain Chok Indoor Sports Center, Team Uganda will face Algeria in the mixed team Group A match. Both teams were bundled out by Seychelles and South Africa respectively at the quarterfinal stage at Brazzaville 2015.

In women’s handball, Uganda had a walkover against Kenya who did not show up but lost to Cameroon 43-22 in their first two Group B matches on Wednesday.

Now they have a shot at redemption when they meet Tunisia at Salle 2 in Casablanca. Uganda last featured in handball (men) at these Games at Cairo 1991. Charles Kagimu and Aziz Sempijja will be in the fray for the men’s time trial 59km cycling final at Benslimane in Casablanca.

Schedule
TODAY’S SELECT FIXTURES
Boxing
Men’s flyweight (52kg)
Businge vs Maquina (Moz)
Women’s Featherweight (57kg)
Preliminaries
Nali vs. Ndarata (CAR)
Badminton
MIXED TEAM EVENT
11am: Uganda vs. Algeria
Cycling
1pm: Men’s Time Trial (59km Final)
Handball (women)
6pm: Tunisia vs. Uganda
Swimming
12pm: Men & Women’s 50m freestyle Heats, Men’s 100m Backstroke Heats