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Zebra chasing more history at World Championship
Ssenyange is making huge strides at the World Championships. PHOTO/COURTSEY
What you need to know:
At the inaugural edition of this tournament in 1974 Havana, Cuba, Ayub Kalule’s gold and Joseph Nsubuga’s bronze earned Uganda a joint-fourth position with Puerto Rico, behind Cuba, Soviet Union and USA in world rankings.
When Ismail Muwendo and Edward Akora won their first bouts at the 2007 World Boxing Championship in Chicago, USA, Isaac Zebra Ssenyange Jr was just a ghetto boy, barely 10. But on Wednesday, the boy became the first Ugandan to win a bout at the World tournament in 15 years.
Ssenyange overwhelmed Thodoris Ritzakis of Greece in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, forcing Croatian referee Gustin Edvardo to stop the contest in 14 seconds of the second round. Even before that, the Ugandan southpaw had combined his lethal left hand and right jab to impress all the judges in the first round.
“It feels like a dream come true, I have grown up watching people on the international stage and always wished it was me there. Well now is my time. I'm here and making history with every step I make,” Ssenyange, who sought his means to be at the event, told Daily Monitor.
At the inaugural edition of this tournament in 1974 Havana, Cuba, Ayub Kalule’s gold and Joseph Nsubuga’s bronze earned Uganda a joint-fourth position with Puerto Rico, behind Cuba, Soviet Union and USA in world rankings.
But Uganda has never won a medal at the event since then and had last won a single bout in 2007.
“I believe I’m a game-changer. I have had challenges before like at the Commonwealth Games and the AFBC last year but those challenges have molded a strong, resilient and concerted persona in me that is leading me to higher placing on the international scene.”
On Saturday, he faces a sterner test against Georgia’s Eskerkhan Madiev, who also defeated Saint Lucia’s Mortley Kyghan by RSC in Round Two.
“My next bout is gonna be harder than the first one.”
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Madiev defeated Uganda’s captain Musa Shadir Bwogi 3-2.
“I believe Shadir Musa had a chance to win but he lost by just a few points, and that point deduction for keeping his head down cost him,” Ssenyange said.
“But Madiev has problems with southpaws and I am a taller southpaw than Shadir. So, I have a better reach, meaning I won’t have to go in, he has to come to me. So I will use my tactics to bait him into coming in and punish him for his mistakes.”
At just 25, Madiev has 59 amatuer fights, 39 victories.
“He might think that his record will scare me but I am mentally prepared for him. It’s gonna be a really good contest. I believe in my plans, I believe in my coaches and I’m gonna be victorious,” Ssenyange, who is helped by foreign coaches, said.
