Nanziri eliminated but still makes Ugandan Olympic history

Tokyo, Japan | THE INDEPENDENT | Flyweight boxer Catherine Nanziri has been eliminated from the ongoing Tokyo Olympic games following her unanimous points loss to Japan’s Tsukimi Namiki.

Nanziri 21, who was in the blue corner lost the fight on unanimous decision by the judges.

According to the scorers, Nanziri never won a single round in the fight, the scorers were 30-27, 30-27, 30-26, 30-27, 30-27 in favor of home girl Namiki. “Hard luck Catherine Nanziri, you got this and you are still a champion, I believe in you”. Team captain Musa Bwogi briefly consoled Nanziri after defeat.

This is not a perfect start for team Uganda after the first two representatives in action are already kicked out of the games. Nanziri follows Kathleen Noble who who fell out in the preliminary rounds of the rowing competition, and will be competing for ranking points, when she returns mid week in the final of category E.

However, Nanziri’s participation in the games is historical. She is the first ever female Ugandan boxer to represent Uganda in the summer games just like Kathleen who was the first in the rowing sport. She would have made more history if she penetrated up to the round of 16.

Next in action will be middleweight pugilist David Ssemujju who will enter the ring to fight with Algeria’s Younes Nemouchi at the last 32 stage tomorrow.

Ssemujju who is a silver medalist in 2019 All African Games, qualified in the world rankings after failing to qualify in the games held last year in Daka, Senegal. According to the rankings, Ssemuju is joint-fifth in the world men’s middleweight and second in Africa, with 300 points.

Meanwhile, the boxing camp was boosted with a bye that was earned by team captain Shadir Musa Bwogi after being ranked highly. Bwogi was among the 24 highly ranked boxers that will only punch in the last 16 in the welterweight category.

He will lock horns with Georgia’s Eskekhan Madiev at the Kokugikan Arena ring on Tuesday. Madiev beat Azerbaijan’s Lorenzo Collazo in the round of 32.

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