Boxing: Zebra’s son eyes national team slot
Ssenyange Jr (LEFT) celebrating his victory over Maviri at the volleyball grounds Sunday. PHOTO/ ABDUL-NASSER SSEMUGABI
Finally, Isaac Zebra Ssenyange Jr, son to slain boxer, who went by the same name, graced the big occasion by making his debut at the ongoing national boxing trials at Lugogo.
Ssenyange Jr, a copycat of his father, who was gunned down by security operatives December 29, 2021, put up a spirited fight to defeat David Maviri of Nakawa Boxing Club on Sunday morning.
“Obviously, I felt some pressure but like any sportsman the moment it’s game time, you concentrate on the play,” he told Daily Monitor.
Observers said he has the talent and will but lacked his usual fitness, which he also admitted and promised to work on going forward.
“I wasn’t that fit because the tournament schedule was on and off but I have to work harder to get better and achieve my goal.”
That goal is to make the national team for the first time and eventually enhance his chances for big international assignments like the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year.
Joining the Bombers shall be one huge score in emulating his father, who even captained the national side and going to the Commonwealth Games shall even be better because Ssenyange Sr missed the event in his long amateur career.
“But we shall take one step a time,” Ssenyange Jr said.
However, he finds himself in the light middleweight, a highly competitive category pitting 22 boxers, including former Bombers John Owino, David Ochan and the highly ruthless Olympian David Ssemuju, who stopped Murushid Nsubuga of Kiwatule Boxing Club in round one.
