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 encouraged Nanziri after defeat.
This is not a perfect start for team Uganda in the 2020 summer games after the first two representatives in action are already kicked out of the games as Nanziri follows Kathleen Noble who lost yesterday in the Repechage and which buried her chances of winning any medal in the games.
Just as Kathleen Noble is Uganda’s first ever rower, Nanziri is the country’s pioneer boxer in the Olympics.
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.
Speaking at the end of her match with Japan’s Namiki, Nanziri said the match was tough but she had not lost hope.
“The Olympics is where champions meet. I have lost the match but not hope, I am motivated to go higher,” said Catherine Nanziri.
Next in action will be middleweight pugilist David Ssemujju who will enter the rings to fight with Algeria’s Younes Nemouchi at the last 32 stage tomorrow on 26th July. Ssemujju who was 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.
