Author: ELKANA KUHENGA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: SEVEN quarterfinals of the National Boxing Championship at Tanganyika Packers in Kawe, Dar es Salaam on Wednesday were very thrilling and action packed.
The first on the ring was the bantam weight bout that the national team pugilist Boniface Mligwa used well to demonstrate his boxing skills in his impressive win over Salum Mohamed.
Mligwa’s skills impressed everyone at the venue to the extent boxing fans saw him as an inspiration to boxing comeback after the sport lost its limelight since late 1990s.
The two boxers fought well and their fight was considered the best bout of the day. Many thought Mligwa could take his opponent by knockout bearing in mind his history and dominance but it was not possible.
Both boxers showed a world class fight, but with Mligwa’s experience Mohamed eventually lost the fight.
There were many more fights on Wednesday; but Sebastian John’s performance in the light welterweight (64kg) was stunning as he knocked out Omari Salum from Tanzania Prisons in the first round.
Another quarterfinal game brought in lightweight boxers (60kg) in the game; it involved two men from the National Service, Mwarami Ngayama and Edward Samkinaye. Ngayama emerged the winner by technical knockout in the third round.
In the flyweight division (52kg), two other Nation Service boxers fought, and it was Mbwana Innocent who won by points over Iddi Athumani.
In bantam weight (56kg), Bakari Mohamed from Iringa was conferred victory after the boxer from Tanzania Prisons was disqualified during the game.
Other Bantamweight games ended with John Mchongo from Prisons Service winning by points over Tumaini Kajanja of Mwanza and Hussein Juma from the Nation Service, defeating Stephano Mika from National Service by points.
According to the Boxing Federation of Tanzania (BFT) Secretary General, Lukelo Willilo, the competition is designed to offer opportunity to both young and experienced fighters to become good boxers.
