Uganda’s aspirations of clinching a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics in boxing took a blow as Yusuf Nkobeza suffered a loss in the ongoing Qualifiers in Italy.
Nkobeza, competing in the 80kg category, faced Romanian Paul Andrei Aradoaei in a crucial bout on Monday. However, despite his efforts, Nkobeza succumbed to a unanimous decision defeat, with the judges scoring the match 5-0 in favor of Aradoaei. The scorecards read 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27 in favor of the Romanian, sealing Nkobeza’s exit at the round of 64.
The loss comes as a significant setback for Nkobeza, who was not part of Uganda’s contingent at the previous Olympics qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal. In Dakar, Uganda had sent six pugilists, all of whom failed to secure Olympic tickets.
As the quest for Olympic qualification continues, Captain Joshua Tukamuhebwa and Emily Nakalema remain Uganda’s hopefuls in the qualifiers. However, their journey hasn’t been without hurdles. Shafik Mawanda’s absence due to a walkover in his scheduled fight against Teo Wei Xuan of Singapore added to Uganda’s challenges.
Captain Tukamuhebwa is set to step into the ring on Tuesday, March 5, where he will face Edgar Garcia of Guatemala in the 63.5kg category. Meanwhile, Emily Nakalema, competing in the Women’s 66kg division, received a bye in the first preliminary round. She is scheduled to face Moreira Ivanusa of Cape Verde on Friday, March 8, in her bid to keep Uganda’s hopes alive in the qualifiers.
With Nkobeza’s defeat adding to Uganda’s woes, the nation’s boxing fraternity awaits anxiously to see if Tukamuhebwa and Nakalema can secure victories and keep Uganda’s Olympic dreams alive.
