Categories: Sports

Lihanda hopeful of Dakar test

Kampala- Patrick Lihanda, the national boxing coach believes the Bombers are in better shape now than they were three weeks ago when they camped in his Luzira Prison and are ready for the African Olympic Qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal next week.

Twenty six boxers [men and women] and eight coaches have resided behind the prison walls for the last three weeks, but only 13 [eight men, five women] had already qualified for the Dakar challenge, while the other 13 were sparring partners.

“Well, we are in the final touches of the preparations…the time has been short but we’ve really made great improvement among all boxers,” Lihanda told us on phone 6.00am yesterday.

“In boxing you can’t surely tell who the winner will be but I expect a decent performance in Dakar.”
Lihanda didn’t quantify that decent performance. But it could mean sending more athletes to the Tokyo Olympics than Uganda sent to Rio de Janeiro.

In 2016, Uganda sent 10 boxers to the Olympic Qualifiers in Yaoundé, Cameroon, but only the Sweden-based pair of Ronald Serugo and Kennedy Katende qualified for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Both booked their tickets through the third-place box-off after losing semifinals.

In six of the men’s eight weight categories only the top three will boxers will qualify for Tokyo. In the heavyweight and super heavyweight, only the top two shall qualify.
Ladies’ vote
Lihanda, an Olympian in Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988, also rooted for the lady Bombers.
Featherweight Susan Akello and the other four ladies bound for Dakar are debutants on the continent and a tournament of this calibre will doubtless be a mountainous task.

Albert Echetah

Recent Posts

South African Group Petitions For Chidimma Adetshina’s Removal FromInternational Miss Universe Pageant Over Identity Fraud Allegations

A group called Progressive Forces in South Africa has launched a petition against MissUniverse Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina, with the aim…

November 5, 2024

Mauritius Reopens Social MediaAccess in Response to PublicPressure

Mauritius on Saturday overruled its decision to prohibit social media until the election onNovember 10th which was caused by a…

November 5, 2024

UAE Crown Prince Arrives in Ethiopia for WorldWithout Hunger Conference

The UAE’s Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed AlNahyan was in Addis Ababa…

November 5, 2024

Zimbabwe’s rich (Mbingas) linked to state looting

Gilbert Machokoto, a former teacher, said that setting up a business in the late 1980s, shortlyafter Zimbabwe's independence, was ‘like…

November 4, 2024

Historic Shift in Botswana as PresidentConcedes to Opposition Victory

Following elections in which the party that had ruled the diamond-rich nation for almost 60years suffered a historic setback. Botswana's…

November 4, 2024

Lightning Strike at Uganda Refugee CampClaims 14 Lives, Including Children

A lightning strike at a refugee camp in Uganda kills 14 people including children with 34 othershospitalized. The incident happened…

November 4, 2024

This website uses cookies.