A week from now, the national boxing team, The Bombers, will be in action at the Africa Boxing Championships in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

The tournament at which eleven male and six female pugilists will represent Uganda, runs from July 25 to August 6, courtesy of the International Boxing Association (IBA).

However, unlike previous IBA tournaments, (and there have been many that Uganda has taken part in) the stakes for Uganda’s boxers could not be any higher this time. A gold medal winner will bag $20,000 or Shs 74m, a silver medal will guarantee $10,000 or Shs 37m while a bronze medalist will take home $5, 000 or Shs 18.5m.

Considering the poor backgrounds from which a host of Uganda’s pugilists hail, the IBA championships in Cameroon can be life-changing. Light welterweight Joshua Tukamuhebwa, 24, will captain Uganda’s contingent. This is going to be his second appearance at the Africa Championship.

Yet, he remains haunted by how things unfolded during his maiden appearance at a continental showpiece last year in Maputo, Mozambique. Tukamuhebwa missed out on the medal bracket when he lost in the quarter-final. It was a painful loss for the young man who, to this date, remains unconvinced he lost that bout.

“I failed to knock out my opponent; so, the fight was down to opinion of the judges. Unfortunately, their [ judges] call went against me. I was gutted,” Tukamuhebwa said.

The thought of failing to make it into the money bracket felt like a kick in the teeth for Tukamuhebwa, whose only consolation, was seeing two of his teammates make it to the semi-finals. Jonathan Kyobe and Yusuf Nkobeza were the two Ugandan pugilists, who bagged $2500 (Shs 9m) for the bronze medals they won in Maputo.

And, as they revealed, it was a watershed moment because of how much they had laboured and struggled to make it to the national team. This time, though, Nkobeza and Kyobe are not on the team because they did not meet the qualification criteria.

Such is the competition for places on the national team. A lot of it has been heightened by the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) Champions League.

This year’s tournament has brought forth many boxers, making the competition, which needs a lot of focus, stiff. Only Tukamuhebwa and Idris Mukiibi, who were part of the contingent of seven boxers last year, are the ones that have kept their places on the team.

And for the southpaw boxer, Tukamuhebwa, the mission is to get into the money bracket. In many ways, Tukamuhebwa is the jewel in the crown. He is such a fan favourite because of his meek demeanour. But at the same time, his boxing style is one to behold. His punch combination and in-ring movement are good to watch. He is not only a fighter, but an entertainer, too.

CEILING OPPORTUNITY

This is going to be Tukamuhebwa’s fifth major international tournament since his maiden appearance at the 2019 All Africa Games in Morocco, where David Ssemujju and Isaac Masembe won bronze medals. Therefore, with more experience attained over the last four years, Cameroon should provide a breaking of the ceiling opportunity.

“I have had this vision since last year, when I lost in the quarter-finals. And like my teammates, we all have the same target, to improve our careers and lives. The determination to do well has never been greater,” Tukamuhebwa said.

But maybe not greater for 26-year-old Emily Nakalema, a welterweight (67kg), who quit football for boxing, to use her energy more productively. Nakalema revealed that being homeless is an experience she has had. Yet, she does not want it to define her.

Instead Nakalema is using it as motivation to conquer since she began personal preparations for these championships in January. Due to the lack of resources, The Bombers have only been in camp for two weeks. Observers feel that could encumber their progress while in Cameroon.

But head coach Twaibu Mayanja said a ‘can do’ attitude is what this team has. He said: “To overcome the challenges of life, one just has to beat the odds. That is why we continue to work in training.”

Super heavyweight Solomon Geko, 34, has been on the national team since 2014 in worse conditions. He put it affirmatively that now is the time for them to have their eyes on the prize. Any negative thoughts or self-doubt will only derail them from the objective – the cash prize that can change their lives.