COBAP win national boxing competition

COBAP Boxing Club asserted their dominance on the local scene after bagging the national novices boxing championships on Friday. The champions usurped the title after gunning for 26 points-- beating army side UPDF by two points - a result that was vehemently disputed by the army side’s officials. This victory is a new feat for the Mengo Community Based Organisation (COBAP) following their victory in the national junior championships last month.

But the result came at a cost as their boxer Rogers Semitala was boxed out of the ring by UPDF’s Ramadhan Kalule forcing the referee stop the contest in the second round. The final result did not go down well for UPDF who alleged biased officiating as the top two teams were running neck-to-neck with one bout left. The soldiers’ questioned a first round stoppage against their heavyweight Isaac Mugerwa because of a cut on the forehaed that handed triumph to Fred Opilu of East Coast.

A win for Mugerwa would have handed UPDF victory with 27 points. The furious UPDF officials wanted a point count. But UABF vice president technical Patrick Lihanda insists that the result was fair. “According to AIBA rules the points are counted when the strike happens from the second round onwards,” Lihanda explained yesterday. “Even then, the jury cards showed that Opilu was leading,” the former international further asserted.